


Strange Animal

by combatfaerie



Series: Moonlight Desires [2]
Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Brollins, Don't copy to another site, F/M, Werewolves, rollynch
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:00:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 29,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28042032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/combatfaerie/pseuds/combatfaerie
Summary: A sequel to MOONLIGHT DESIRES. Now that they've shared their secret natures with each other, Becky and Seth are finally looking forward to all the full-moon nights they can share. When there's a blue moon, they consider it a gift, an extra chance to run together... until Becky is suddenly unable to shift. With their common bond on shaky ground, will their relationship suffer the same fate or will they find a way to share full moons again?
Relationships: Becky Lynch | Rebecca Knox/Seth Rollins | Tyler Black
Series: Moonlight Desires [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2052228
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

Full moons always had a festive feel to them. The modern world often kept werewolf packs apart due to jobs or school, but most pack members tried to stay close so they could at least unite on full-moon nights. A run was a chance to revel in their nature, to reconnect with their loved ones, to escape the drudgery of their human life for one raucous night a month.

By that reasoning, Seth figured a blue moon must feel like a second Christmas. When he had been on his own, a second full moon in a month had been a mixed blessing. He loved his wolf form and running freely through the night, but it also meant more juggling, more arranging, more lying. Now that he was with Becky, it felt like a gift, a night when he wouldn't have to share her with anyone else. It was their first blue moon together—not surprising, since some years didn't have one at all—and he had given up trying to act cool somewhere around noon. Becky had already scheduled lunch and shopping with Charlotte before realizing it fell on the blue moon, so she had to do a bit of creative fibbing, but Charlotte seemed to understand. The friends had brunch instead with a promise of catching up properly the next weekend, and it was all Seth could do not to honk the horn as he waited for Becky to run over to the rental SUV. "Hey, Becks," he grinned as she opened the back door and set a few bags inside. "Good brunch? How's Char doing?" She had offered to reschedule, but Seth had noticed that she had been a bit out of sorts for the last few days. He hoped a nice morning with Charlotte would turn her mood around.

Becky hopped up into the passenger seat, leaned across the console, and kissed him. It was warm and hungry, but even it didn't hold the normal fiery spirit she usually had around a full moon. "Yeah. It was nice. She's doing really well and the restaurant had good coffee—"

"But did they have toast?" Seth teased, waiting until she fastened her seat belt before pulling away from the curb. He didn't understand Becky's fascination with toast—it was just burned bread, after all—but it was easier to put up with than her love of mint chocolate; just the scent of that made his skin prickle.

" _Yes._ Fancy toast, even." Becky gave his arm a gentle smack as she checked her phone for messages. "Cut into shapes and everything. With _compote_." She tried to put on a posh British accent, but it fell a bit short when she started to laugh.

"Yeah, well, I only just got a toaster because _someone_ complained," Seth replied, "so you'll have to put up with regular _jam_ for now." When he glanced over at her, he was pleased to see her blushing slightly. They weren't exactly living together, but they were spending more and more time at each other's homes, in each other's lives, and while saying they were dating felt a bit irrelevant given everything they shared, it was the easiest label to use for now—at least with people who didn't know they were werewolves.

"I'll live. There are enough other things in your house that make breakfast worthwhile." She gave him a quick wink—or at least her approximation of one—and settled into the passenger seat as Seth headed back to their hotel, but she seemed distracted somehow, gaze flicking between the windshield and the side window. "It doesn't really feel like a full moon day," she said at last, leaning forward and peering through the windshield up at the afternoon sky. The moon wasn't visible yet, of course, but their wolves would be able to feel the pull.

Or at least they should. Seth definitely could, but Becky seemed more irritated than invigorated. Whenever he asked if something was wrong, she insisted it had nothing to do with him, so he had some small measure of relief. He learned more about werewolf culture from her all the time, but it was like learning a language late in life: he knew there would always be so many nuances he would never quite understand, experiences he would never fully appreciate the same way he would if he had grown up in the culture. "Maybe it's because it's the same month," he suggested. They both had calendars set to track the full moon and even he had to admit it was weird not to see a different month in the header. "It makes it feel like a long month."

"Yeah, maybe." Becky cast one more bewildered look up at the sky before settling back in her seat. "So what are we doing for dinner?"

Large meals before a run should have been a given, but Seth had had more full-moon nights dampened by overeating than anything else. He eventually learned it was best to eat light beforehand and gorge afterwards, which made him wonder if late-night diners and all-day breakfast restaurants had been started by werewolves. "I'm cool with just hitting a cafe on the way and getting something small. What about you? What do you want to do this afternoon?" Since they were stopped at a red light, he leaned across and kissed her. "Aside from me, that is."

Becky rolled her eyes but returned the kiss eagerly, even if it lacked the full-moon fierceness Seth was accustomed to. Then she gave him a gentle shove and gripped his chin, turning his head so that he was facing forward. "I thought that's why you bought that new blanket for tonight."

"We should really test it out in the hotel first," Seth said with mock innocence, "just to make sure it's okay. It would suck to take it all the way out into the forest and then find out it's not comfortable."

Her laugh floated over the music in the SUV, lifting Seth's heart a bit. He had worried about all sorts of possibilities—depression, her period, drifting apart—but maybe it was something as simple as a few off days. He had certainly had enough of his own, so he couldn't complain when she had some. "That sounds like something a Ravenclaw would say," she countered airily, leaning back in her seat, "not a self-proclaimed Slytherin."

"Cunning, intelligence—they're so close, you know?" Seth had made Becky watch the Harry Potter movies over one of the weekends she had spent at his house, following up with the Sorting Hat quiz. He wasn't at all surprised to see that she was a Gryffindor. "So . . . blanket testing?" Then he gestured into the back seat. "Unless there's something in one of those you'd like to try."

"Maybe if you want me to paint your nails flame orange." Becky leaned closer, draping a stray curl over his hand. "Hmm. Not your shade. You need more of a pumpkin orange."

Seth shook his head. "My nails are just fine being naked, thanks."

Becky's grin only grew. "Just like the rest of you."

When they got to the hotel, they did indeed test out the blanket and found it acceptable for forest use, but Becky didn't bother to paint her nails; given how rough and tumble she and Seth could be before and after a run, most of the varnish would chip off before morning. They had enough time to test out the hotel bed as well and have a shower before they left, and since no one seemed to recognize them at the small local cafe on the outskirts of the city, they were actually able to eat in—a rare treat for them. When Becky wound the blanket around herself on the drive to the forest, Seth started to be concerned. Between an afternoon of sex and a full moon, even she should have been warm. "Becks, are you okay? You're not. . . ." He dropped his gaze to her belly and when she gave him a blank look, he finally said, "Pregnant. You're not pregnant, right?"

"What? No!" Becky shook her head adamantly. "My period just ended a few days ago. You know that." Menstruating could affect her shifting ability, so Seth had started factoring that into his moon-cycle calendar as well.

"Yeah, but . . . I mean, _werewolf_." He gave a small shrug as he pulled onto an old logging road. They were only about a twenty-minute drive from their hotel, but they were surrounded by utter wilderness. Sometimes he was still amazed by how quickly landscapes could change from urban to rural. "Maybe something's different with you because you're a wrestler. It's physically demanding, you get hit a lot—"

"I'm not pregnant, don't worry." Becky clutched the blanket tighter around her shoulders and brought her knees up to her chest. "Maybe I just have a flu or something. I know Mandy wasn't feeling great last week. Something could be going around."

Seth could tell she was getting cranky, so he changed the subject quickly. "Why is it called a blue moon? I know it's when there are two full moons in a calendar month," he continued, "but why is it _blue_?" As he took the last turn before the spot he had scouted out while Becky was with Charlotte, he looked up at the sky and frowned. "Well, maybe the name works for tonight," he conceded, "although that looks more green to me than blue."

"What are you talking about?" Becky waited until Seth parked and then hopped out of the SUV, craning her neck so she could get a better view of the night sky. "Huh. It is kinda green. Never seen that before. Maybe it's some sort of pollution from the city?" she suggested. "I remember Nattie talking about being back in Calgary when there were wildfires in the province and she sent me pictures were the sky was this weird shade of orange all day long because of the smoke."

"I guess." Casting one last look at the eerie-hued sky, Seth grabbed the bag from the SUV and squeezed Becky's hands as they started to walk around the area, checking for any potential dangers. Anything from a trap to a rabbit hole could be perilous during a run. Once they found a spot they both liked, he spread out the now-tested blanket and sat on it, motioning for Becky to join him. "You know, we only tried it out in the hotel," he pointed out with a wink. "It might not hold up under harsher conditions. We really should—"

"Try it later," Becky interjected. It didn't stop her from sitting on his lap, though, and wrapping her arms around his shoulders as she kissed him. "Blue moons are special, remember? The last one was a few years ago. We should enjoy this one properly, as wolves. There's plenty of time for . . . testing blankets later."

Seth laughed hard enough that they almost both toppled over. " _Testing blankets_. Can that be our new euphemism for fucking?"

"Roman will see through that in a second." After one more kiss—then two, then three—Becky stood up and started to undress. It was a sight Seth wouldn't ever not appreciate, and full-moon nights became a lot easier once he felt like he was allowed to watch her openly. As she put her clothes in the bag, Becky glanced up at him. "You planning to run or did you just come out to camp?" she teased.

"Enjoying the view," Seth replied simply, "like always." Once he was naked as well, he put his clothes in with Becky's and then stowed the bag a few trees away from their blanket so it wouldn't be quite so obvious. If someone happened to stumble upon the blanket, they wouldn't see any other traces of activity and probably figure some amorous couple stopped for a quickie and forgot the blanket in their haste. "Ready?"

After looking up at the strange sky, Becky nodded. "Yeah." Then she pulled him down into a kiss, long and slow. "Happy blue moon." When she stepped away, she glanced back up at the sky and shook her head before getting into position to transform.

"Can we declare blue moons a holiday? We could pick a different location each time," Seth suggested, lowering himself into a crouch, "and we could—"

"Shift." Becky's voice was gentle but firm and she leaned over quickly to take the elastic out of Seth's hair, releasing his man-bun and letting his curls free. "You'll be wanting that later," she pointed out, tossing the elastic onto the blanket. It might not be there when they returned—a brisk enough breeze could blow it away, or some small animal might find it interesting—but at least it wouldn't break during his transformation.

"Thanks." Shutting his eyes, Seth buried his fingers into the leaves, the grass, the soil. Even before his body started to change, he could feel the shift in his senses, like fiddling with the settings on a stereo. Becky's scent was both strong and sweet, her heartbeat accelerating as she started to focus. Owls were hunting in the distance and as his eyes started to change, he noticed that the green tinge was even more noticeable. "Be—" He wanted to point it out to Becky, ask if it seemed more vibrant to her as well, but his transformation began in earnest.

Now that he was shifting with another wolf regularly—there was the odd full moon here and there when they couldn't be together, and those hurt more than he liked to admit—Seth found the process was getting smoother and faster, almost like taking off one set of clothes and putting on another. Once his wolf form was complete, Seth shook his whole body like a wet dog and let out a small howl. It was a good way to ensure there were no other predators nearby, but more than that, it didn't feel right to see a full moon—even an oddly coloured one—and not sing to it.

_Becky!_ Her name was a gentle chuff. _Look at the moon!_

"Seth?"

His first thought was that he must have been hearing wrong. While he learned how to interpret Becky's wolf sounds into simple words and phrases, they weren't ever as clear as human speech, even with the accent he loved to tease her about. In wolf-speak, his name should have started as a growl and ended with the edge of a whine. _Maybe there is something in the air,_ he thought as he turned to her.

He expected to see her dark auburn fur, the tight curl of her tail, the elegant line of her muzzle as she started to sing to the sky. Seth certainly wasn't prepared to see Becky still human, shaking and sobbing, eyes wide with panic. "I can't," she whispered, sitting back in a daze. Dirt smudged her hands and legs, but the rest of her was pale in the night. "Why can't I shift?" 

When she met Seth's gaze, the stark dismay in her eyes made him whimper. He promptly trotted over, nuzzling her neck with his nose. Just as they could understand basic speech in wolf form, they could also follow simple wolf sounds when they were human, so he tried to string together the equivalent of a sentence. To him, it sounded like he was trying to gnaw on a particularly stubborn bone, but he hoped he said something like _I can shift back?_

He must have gotten close, because Becky shook her head vehemently. "No. No, that's not good for you." She wrapped her arms around him and he could feel her entire body shaking. "Just let me . . . I'll try again." As she got back up to her knees, she kissed his muzzle. "Stay close?"

_Always._ Seth pressed close to her, hoping his fur would warm her as she concentrated. He might have to move when her transformation started so he didn't get an elbow to the head, but there was plenty of space around them. _Take your time._

She did. Minutes dragged by, silent except for her sobs and screams of frustration, until Becky finally flopped back against the blanket, eyes bloodshot from crying and exertion. When Seth came over to lick away her tears, though, she gently nudged him aside. "Go run," she insisted, forcing herself to sit up. "I'll be okay. I'll . . . I'll get the bag and get dressed so I don't get cold. And I can get my phone from the SUV and . . . leave some messages for my family and tell them what happened. Maybe they'll know what's wrong with me."

_I stay._ Seth rested his muzzle on her shoulder. It felt wrong to be a wolf and not be running, but leaving Becky alone would have been even worse. 

"Please go." Becky leaned over and peppered the top of his head with wet kisses. "Please go run. And you don't have to hurry back. I know you've been looking forward to this. Go." Tears were streaming down her face again and she made no move to stop them, even when they splashed down on her breasts and legs. 

Seth waited until she had retrieved the bag from the tree—something that was normally his job, since he was taller—and made it back down to the ground safely. _Love you,_ he howled, rubbing up against her leg and licking her hand.

Even with tears spilling over her lips, Becky tried to smile for him. "Love you too. Now go run."

As much as he wanted to stay with Becky and comfort her, his wolf nature needed the run, and the call of the moon was too strong. He kept glancing back to make sure she got dressed and made it to the SUV safely; rather than exploring the whole forest as he—as _they_ —would have liked to do, he kept circling around their chosen spot, trying to keep Becky in sight. When he heard an anguished wail, he started dashing back, thinking perhaps Becky's transformation was just delayed. It would mean her clothes were probably ruined, but they always kept some spare workout wear with them just in case.

When he stopped just outside the clearing, careful to give her some space in case her transformation had been painful, Seth felt his heart sink. It hadn't been a shifting howl he had heard or even a scream of exertion. Becky was still all too human, curled up on herself, screaming at the moon rather than singing to it.


	2. Chapter 2

_What's wrong with me?_ The urge to run back to the SUV and blast music as loud as she could bear was incredibly tempting, but Becky didn't want Seth to worry about her any more than he already was. She had been feeling off in the days leading up to the full moon, but she just chalked it up to something minor: a seasonal flu, maybe, or stress. She had never been unable to shift at a full moon before and the sheer terror that followed was so all-encompassing she felt like she had been scoured from the inside out. She slipped Seth's hair elastic around her wrist and let it snap against her skin once hoping it would clear her head.

She had left messages with all her family members, but naturally they were also out enjoying the blue moon. The idea of calling Charlotte or Sasha or Bayley was tempting, but as soon as they would hear the tears in her voice, Becky knew they would assume Seth had done something. He was already under a lot of scrutiny from her friends in general and she didn't want to add to it. Besides, what could she say? She couldn't talk about the real problem and she didn't have enough wherewithal to conjure up a clever lie. The only people in her life who could understand the utter agony she was going through were other werewolves, and most of them would be running right now.

The energy was there. Becky could feel it, but it was indistinct, like music heard from a booming car stereo a block away. Whenever she tried to reach for it, to channel it, it drifted away like smoke. Glaring up at the strange full moon, she let out a few creative Celtic curses. "Blue moons are supposed to be good luck," she muttered, wiping at her face. She had given up on keeping her cheeks dry long ago and she just hoped they wouldn't have to stop anywhere on their way back to the hotel. 

At a loss, she took a few pictures of the oddly green moon with her phone, but she didn't expect them to turn out at all. Even in human form, werewolves could sense things regular people could not, so what she saw and what the camera could capture were likely two very different things. "Ugh, how the fuck does crying _hurt_?" Her stomach felt as hard and unforgiving as a basketball and she wrapped her arms around herself. Who knew sobbing uncontrollably could be a workout?

_Becky?_ She looked up at the gentle chuff to see Seth loping towards her, keeping his movements slow and non-threatening.

She wiped half-heartedly at her face as she rose up onto her knees to hug him. "Hey. Good run?" Every breath she took was agony, but she didn't want to take away from his blue moon experience.

_Missed you._ Seth rubbed his head up against her neck. _Hurt?_

Becky shook her head. "No, I'm okay. Just upset. And hungry." She added the last with a gulping laugh. "Crying takes more out of me than I remember." She took a deep, sniffling breath, burying her face in his fur. She could smell the night on him, the rich scents of his fur and the forest and that inexplicable presence of the moon. "Can we stop somewhere for food on the way back?" She knew the hotel would have room service, but she wanted greasy fast food, something as bad for her as her mood was. "Drive-thru's fine or I can run in—"

Seth nodded against her shoulder, stepping back to look at her with soft, sad eyes. He almost went behind a tree to shift back until Becky called to him, and even then he made his reversal as fast and simple as possible; normally he liked to show off a bit, make a game of it. "Just let me get dressed," he rumbled, reaching for his shirt.

But Becky gently took it and placed it out of his reach. "I'm not starving," she said gently. "Take your time. Rest." Any thought of testing the blanket was long gone, as much as she would have loved to fuck Seth under the open sky with this strange moon guarding them.

"You're sure?" When Becky nodded, Seth started his regular routine, rinsing off and walking around a bit before getting dressed. Then he lowered himself on the blanket beside her, his gaze as raw as her eyes felt. "Any idea what's wrong? Any word from your family?"

Becky shook her head. "They're either still running or they're sleeping it off. I'll talk to them later." As if nothing else about the night was different, Becky crawled onto his lap and curled up against his chest. "What did the moon look like?"

Seth hesitated before answering, stroking Becky's hair. "Greener. That's all." There had to be more to the weird phenomenon than that, but Becky didn't push. She couldn't muster up the energy. Normally she could fall asleep in his arms quite easily, but the disappointment of the night left her on edge. "Come on," Seth said at last, drawing her to her feet as he stood up. "Let's go get some food."

As they packed up their gear, Becky felt her mood sink lower and lower. "Sorry I couldn't run with you," she murmured, giving the blanket a wistful pat before handing it to Seth. Then she poured some of the water from the rinse bottle into her hand to splash on her face; her bloodshot eyes would have to wait for sleep and proper hydration.

"Hey." Dropping the bag to the ground, Seth folded her into a tight hug, burying his face into her hair. "None of that. It's not your fault. We'll go eat and then get some sleep, and tomorrow we'll figure out what happened, okay?" Pulling back, he smoothed Becky's hair away from her face before tugging his hair elastic from her wrist and redoing his bun. "You pick the place. I'll even get you a mint cocoa."

"But no compote?" Seth was trying to cheer her up, so Becky tried to play along, but her heart wasn't in it. Her first transformation was decades ago, and since then she'd had solo runs and family runs, runs with strangers and runs with Seth, but this was the time she ever felt alone on a full-moon night and it was a feeling she might not ever be able to shake.


	3. Chapter 3

As that frustrating full moon drew further and further away, Becky felt more and more like herself again. The strange hazy feeling lingered for a few days after the blue moon, but then everything was back to normal, or at least close to it. Not being able to run still made her feel out of sorts, like wearing uncomfortable clothes for too long, and her temper was easier to ignite than she liked, but she was doing her best not to take it out on Seth. Through it all he had been been steady as a rock, letting her vent or scream or cry whenever she needed to.

Of course, when her libido suddenly flared like a forest fire, he helped with that too. At one point, Roman had to ask her to leave Seth in one piece and Becky should have been embarrassed. After feeling utterly desolate on the blue moon, though, she was happy to feel _anything_ —or, rather, anything that wasn't anger or despair. She assumed the sudden wave of lust would settle down just as the odd feeling from the full-moon night had, but it was almost halfway to the next full moon and she was still horny as hell. 

"Not that I'm complaining," Seth began, wrapping an arm around her waist as they headed to the conference room, "because you know there's nothing I'd rather do with my nights, but I looked up a few things online and . . . uh, apparently 'penile fracture' is a thing."

Becky's cheeks flared and she buried her face into Seth's arm as the New Day walked past them. " _What?_ " she hissed. "I didn't—I mean, it wasn't broken this morning! I would have noticed!"

"So would I," Seth chuckled darkly. "I'm just saying we'll need to be careful. And, for the record, Roman kinda saw what I was looking up."

" _Nooooo._ " Becky came to a stop and looked around frantically for a washroom. Their final event for the week was last night, so they should have been on the road, but Stephanie and Hunter had asked a few of the top-tier wrestlers—Seth and Becky included, unfortunately—to stay behind for the morning to discuss the next overseas tour and some media tie-ins. She had been tempted to claim illness and ask if she could pass on the meeting, but the European tour was always near and dear to her heart. "He didn't. . . ."

"I did." Laughing, Roman came up behind her and kissed the top of her head, ruffling her hair. "I know there's that whole 'Latin Lovers' thing, but looks to me like the Irish might be gunning for that crown." Then he gave Seth a friendly jab to the arm. "See you in there, man. And don't forget: the meeting starts in five minutes. That means no quickies." Still laughing, he headed into the conference room.

" _Stop._ " Becky thought she saw a washroom sign down the hall and started to head towards it, fanning her face with both hands to cool down. "I'm sorry. Have all the guys been bugging you?"

Seth kept pace with her easily, helping her slip out of the hoodie she had borrowed from him. "It's fine. Don't worry about it. They just wish they had their girlfriends or wives on the road with them, that's all." Leaning against the wall, he draped his hoodie over his folded arms. "Go splash some water on your face. I'll stay out here as proof in case Roman comes out to check on us."

"Thanks." Becky breathed a huge sigh of relief when she pushed open the bathroom door and found the small space empty. She ran cold water on her wrists first, waiting until her hands were turning pink to splash water on her face. Her shirt ended up getting half the spray, but luckily it was black and wouldn't show the damp spots as readily. Concentrating on her breathing, she blotted her face dry with a disposable towel, silently grateful she hadn't bothered to put any make-up on that morning. "Keep it together, Lynch. Hands to yourself." It wasn't like she had started undressing Seth in public or anything, but they hadn't exactly been subtle either.

When she emerged from the bathroom, Roman was poking his head out of the conference room. "You two ready? Coffee's waiting."

"Thanks, Ro." Becky smoothed back her hair and wiped away the stray drops of water from her face. "I'll behave, I promise."

Seth's dark gaze was soft but serious. "Never in doubt. I know that, Becks. Come on. The sooner the meeting's done, the sooner we get our time off."

"Right." As Becky suspected, they were the last to arrive, and there was the usual assortment of reactions: raised eyebrows, knowing smiles, subtle coughs. "Sorry to keep you waiting," she said evenly. Roman had saved two chairs and she sat in the one closest to him, hoping his steady presence would help her maintain control. 

"All right then. Now that we're all here—" Stephanie launched into a quick recap of the proposed direction for all the titles first, which hadn't changed much from the last meeting aside from some reshuffling to accommodate an injury sustained by AJ Styles. Becky kept her focus wholly on the front of the room and Seth, to his credit, didn't try to distract her, not even by doing something innocent like holding her hand.

"The European tour is going to kick off in England, because we could only get the arena for both Raw and SmackDown at the start of the month. It means we'll be doing some back and forth, but there's no way around that," Hunter continued. "Lynch, when we're in Ireland, we'd like you and Balor to go to some old haunting grounds, talking about training together, that sort of thing." His gaze felt like lasers drilling into her forehead. "We're getting filming permissions right now and we'll talk to you both when things are finalized, okay?"

"Sure." The word felt like a bubble when it came out of Becky's mouth and she almost thought she burped, but no one was giving her a strange look. Sitting back in her chair, she pressed a hand to her stomach. A weird feeling was roiling in her gut, a cross between menstrual cramps and a stretched muscle, and she squirmed a bit to get comfortable. Roman half-turned and gave her a wink, and she jabbed his arm. She knew exactly what he was assuming, but she could hardly call him out on it in the middle of the meeting.

"The cornerstone of this tour is going to be Paris," Stephanie added, "to celebrate the building of a new arena and . . . ."

The words started swimming in Becky's ears, bobbing madly in her brain and moving just out of reach when she thought she understood them. All of the sudden the lights were as bright as a hundred suns, making her wince, and a sharp tug on her arm made her look towards Seth. "What?" she managed.

Seth's gaze looked like it was about to shatter. "Look down at your hand," he whispered, barely moving his lips.

A wave of nausea crashed through Becky, making her shut her eyes, but she managed to force them open. Following Seth's gaze, she saw her elbow, then his hand—and the start of a paw. "No." Becky immediately hunched over. Seth had his hoodie folded on his lap and she grabbed it, tossing it over her transforming hand as she felt her jaw start to extend.

All the discussions around the table trailed off. "Becks, you okay?" Roman leaned close, his warm hand a comforting weight on her back. 

Seth was already coaxing her from her chair. "Sorry. Hunter, Steph—she was feeling a bit off. . . ."

Stephanie nodded, motioning to the door. "Of course. We can get you caught up later. Did you want to have a doctor sent up to your suite?

"Not yet." Seth replied before Becky could snarl. He was keeping her face pressed close to his shoulder as best he could so no one would see her mouth full of sharp teeth. "I'll let you know if we need any help. Roman, fill us in later?"

Roman's face had paled with worry. "Of course, man. If I can help, just let me know."

"I will." As everyone pulled their chairs in closer to the table to give them space, Seth guided Becky out of the conference room and rushed her down the hall. "You're shifting? How are you shifting? It's not even noon!"

"New moon . . . maybe?" Becky growled, nearly crashing to her knees and dragging Seth down to the floor with her when a long, angry spasm of pain twisted her spine. "Elevator? Faster."

Seth shook his head sharply. "I know, Becks, but it also has a security camera. The hallways do too, so stay as close to me as you can, okay?" Every few steps he glanced up, looking for tell-tale lenses.

Clutching his arm like a lifeline, Becky nodded. With Seth urging her forward, she could barely see where she was going, but since he was mostly carrying her, it didn't matter. She heard the distinctive crack of hard plastic and then a quick beep before a rush of cool air swept over her. "Where—?"

"Utility staircase. Only supposed to be for emergencies," Seth explained, hoisting her into his arms, "but staff use them all the time. Marek used to work at a hotel and told me that the cameras are usually disabled because the staff don't want to be caught using shortcuts."

Becky's head was reeling, but one word still stuck out. "Usually?"

Seth grimaced. "It's our best option right now. The hotel is downtown. There's no place to pass you off as a dog." He adjusted his grip, almost stumbling on the stairs when her legs started to twitch. "Hold on. We're only on the fourth floor. It's not far."

"I can't—" Shifting was supposed to be a glorious thing; some of her cousins even likened it to a religious experience. It was supposed to be under the velvet smoothness of a night sky, under the gentle gaze of the moon, not a painful, wrenching explosion of limbs in a cold stairwell. But her arms were starting to shorten as well, and try as she might, Becky couldn't force her body back or even get the transformation to slow down, let alone stop. 

When her arm jerked, Seth's hoodie fell to the landing and he had to stop to pick it up. "Shit. It's wet. You're bleeding or something." He gently set Becky's twitching body down to look back the way they had come. "No trail. Good. Come on." He picked her up again, a bit rougher this time, and ran the rest of the way to the fourth floor. After listening at the door to make sure no one was nearby, Seth finessed the lock and got them into the hallway before the alarm could go off. Luckily the stairwell opened onto a small service corridor on their floor; there were no suites down this branch, only supply closets. "Hurry, hurry," he urged, more to himself since he was still carrying Becky. His hoodie was covering her like a blanket, and he pushed her tail back under the sleeve so it couldn't be seen.

Once he got their door open, Seth ran for the bathroom, and Becky tumbled out of his arms at the threshold, her transformation now in full effect. Her clothes tore before she could pull them off, leaving her covered in fur, tatters, and bloody plasma. Her mouth turned to a muzzle before she could scream, and Seth clamped a hand down before she could howl, flinging the bathmats out of the way so they wouldn't be stained. _Hurts,_ Becky whined, _hurts so much._ She had shifted outside of the full moon, of course, but it was almost always at night. This was too bright, too early, too forced. This wasn't a celebration of her nature, but a corruption of it.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Seth kept stroking her head as her body, now fully lupine, shook uncontrollably. "I should have got you outside so you could run. I should have—"

Becky gently nipped his hand to make him stop. _No should._ Her wolf form seemed so clumsy now, so inadequate, and it felt unnatural to be a wolf when Seth was not. _Thank you. Love you._

"Love you too." Seth looked down at his ruined shirt and pulled it off with his free hand, adding to the pile of tattered clothing on the floor. The main suite was largely untouched, but the bathroom was a disaster. Plasma and blood splatters were everywhere and there was no way they could leave those for the housekeeping staff without raising some major—and serious—questions.

Becky pawed mournfully at Seth's hoodie, now little more than shreds. Ever since the full moon, she had been wondering if she would ever be able to shift again, and now she had her answer, and it was both right and wrong in the most heartbreaking of ways.


	4. Chapter 4

"Maybe it was just a freak thing," Seth suggested. Even to him, it sounded like a plea, and in a way it was. He had shifted alone for most of his life, so he ought to be used to it, but he'd grown so used to transforming and running with Becky that it felt weird to contemplate anything else. "Some anomaly with the blue moon." He glanced sideways at Becky as he added, "Or maybe you're pregnant and it makes you shift on new moons instead of full moons?"

"I'm not pregnant." The sharpness in Becky's tone was more aimed at herself, he knew, but Seth still felt the sting. For the past two weeks, she had been trying to find answers for her new affliction; if she could be locked into a transformation at any time, there wasno way could wrestle safely. "I already asked my relatives what their symptoms were like when they were pregnant, and there was nothing about the full moon. Besides," she added, "I did a test few tests and they all came back negative."

Seth was glad they were nearlyat their chosen transformation site, because the traffic was light; he almost veered into the oncoming lane at her declaration. "You . . . what?" They weren't married, they weren't even engaged, and they were barely living together, but Seth still felt a sharp pang. "You never mentioned anything to me. I could have—"

"What? Watched me pee on a stick?" Becky stopped suddenly, rubbing her face. "Sorry. I shouldn't snap at you. I'm just . . . I don't know what to do. I don't know what's going on. I grew up in a pack. I'm supposed to be able to answer your questions, and I can't even find answers to mine."

"No one in your family has any theories?" Seth knew it was a sore spot with her, but he had to ask. Ever since her unexpected transformation in the hotel, she'd spoken to at least two family members every day, reporting everything from her caloric intake to which way her bedroom window faced, but no one seemed to have any answers. Even the eldest wolves in her pack hadn't heard of a werewolf being literally unable to shift on a full moon. "Even something ridiculous?" 

Becky looked like she wanted to snap at him again, but she managed to rein in her temper. "No. My dad thinks the blue moon might have acted like some sort of reset button, and now my body's attuned to the new moon, but that doesn't make sense. It's not like I haven't experienced a blue moon before." She curled her hands around her elbows and sighed. Rather than the anticipatory energy she usually had before a run, she felt taut, almost overextended. She was trying to keep her mood from dragging Seth down as well, but they were so attuned to each other—or at least they had been—that Seth couldn't help but feel the strain shackling her body.

"We'll figure it out." It sounded trite, but Seth had to believe there was an answer somewhere. He didn't want to upset her, but there was an obvious question that needed to be answered, one they had danced around all day. "Are you . . . going to try today?"

He had expected an immediate, emphatic answer, so Seth was surprised when Becky hesitated. "I guess." She met his gaze before looking out the window. He had found an even more remote spot this time, hoping to make her feel comfortable. "I mean, I should try to see what happens. . . ."

They were still a short hike away from the spot Seth had scouted out, but far enough along the forest road that he felt safe stopping suddenly. "Becks, what's wrong? Besides . . . besides the obvious?" He stepped out of the SUV, walked around the front, and opened the passenger door, leaning in to kiss her. "We'll get this figured out. You still know some werewolves in America, right? We can ask them—"

"What if they don't know either? What if _no one knows_?" Becky bit down on her bottom lip hard enough to make it bleed, and the rich scent made Seth's fingers twitch. "What if I'm only able to shift at new moons now?" It was another theory, one they would have to wait about two weeks to test out, but at least they had a date on the calendar to keep in mind.

Seth coaxed her out of the SUV and pulled her into a hug, swinging her around gently. "Then I'll shift on new moons too. It'll be good for me. More exercise, new experience. . . . " He set her down long enough to get their bag and then grabbed her hand before setting out up the path. Their SUV was technically blocking the road, but locals assured him that only the most avid birdwatchers came out this far and only during the day.

"It'll be harder to schedule," Becky countered. "It's hard enough working around the full moons as it is. If we start asking for new moons off too, Hunter and Stephanie are bound to suspect something."

"Something," Seth agreed, "but not _werewolves_. Maybe. . . ." The idea that came to him made him laugh, but it was worth the smile it brought to Becky's face. "Maybe we could say we're pagans and we have moon ceremonies to attend. They won't question religious stuff."

Becky rolled her eyes, but she also went on tiptoe to kiss him. "They will if it's coming from you."

Seth returned the kiss hard enough to make her moan. "I'll say you inspired me. You made me see the light. Or the moon. Whichever. Seriously, Becks, we'll make it work." Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, Seth steered them off the path and into the thicker trees. "We're not jobbers—"

"Enhancement talent," Becky corrected with a hint of a smirk.

"Or mid-carders," Seth said, continuing on without acknowledging her correction. "And it's not like we're asking for—"

Becky raised an eyebrow and laughed. "We're not asking for the moon?" she quipped. 

"Figuratively speaking." Once they reached a good spot, close enough to the river that it would be easy to clean up after, Seth stopped and spread out the blanket. For as often as he told Becky to be positive, the uncertainty was getting to him as well. As he scoped out trees to stow their gear, he found himself purposefully picking a shorter one so Becky would be able to retrieve the bag more easily if she couldn't shift again. "Would it be easier if I went first and you could . . . follow my energy?" he asked. 

Becky gave a small shrug as she took off her shoes. "I don't think it'll matter one way or the other. I'll just . . . do my best and see what happens, I guess."

"Okay." It didn't seem right to wish her _good luck_ or something similar, and Seth didn't want her to feel scrutinized, so he tried to act like it was any other full moon they had shared together. He undressed quickly and flirted—and, for a moment, wondered if pre-shift sex might not be a bad idea, because it would relax her, but he didn't want to come across as insensitive. Once all their clothes were in the bag, Seth climbed the tree and tucked it on a sturdy branch, making sure he had gone up high enough that Becky wouldn't feel babied but low enough that she would still be able to reach it.

Becky sat on the forest floor rather than crouching, and for a moment it looked like she was meditating. When she noticed Seth watching her, she blushed a bit. "Communing with the moon," she explained sheepishly. "One of my aunts always does it, so I thought it was worth a try." She started to stand up, but Seth joined her on the ground, sitting with his knee brushing hers. "You don't have to—"

"I'd like to try, if it's okay with you." Seth kept his voice soft. "So what do you do?"

"Just . . . talk, basically. Thank the moon for her light, say what you hope to get from your run. . . ." Becky held her hands loosely in her lap. "In your head, of course."

"Of course." Seth shut his eyes and focussed on the moon, on Becky beside him. He could hear her whispering _Please let me shift, please let me shift_ over and over, with the rhythm of a chant and the yearning of a prayer. He didn't know what to say to the moon, so he focussed his thoughts on Becky instead, picturing her wolf form running through the forest, wild and free. It was a strangely soothing ritual, a nice prelude to the rambunctiousness that usually followed, and he found his breathing had almost synchronized with Becky's.

When Becky took a deep sigh, Seth looked over to see her moving into a crouch, reaching over to run a hand through his curls. "Ready?"

"Whenever you are." He moved into a crouch easily as well, glancing over at her.

With a shaking breath, Becky nodded. "Okay." Then she bowed her head and started to concentrate.

Seth wanted to wait for her, to wait until her wolf started to emerge before beginning his own transformation, but minutes ticked by with no change in her form aside from a tremor in her shoulders and sweat dripping off her nose. Eventually she slumped down into a sitting position, bringing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. "I can't." Her voice was thick, but no tears were flowing down her face. "I pushed and I focussed and I _can't_."

"I'll sit with you." Seth scooted over and took her into his arms, bringing her to his chest. "We can hang out and I can drop you off at the hotel and come back. . . ."

But Becky shook her head. "You don't have to. That's too risky. We're here now." She stroked his beard slowly while kissing him, as if memorizing the shape of his face. "Go run."

Seth pointed up the tree. "Did you want me to go get the bag before I do?"

Becky looked like she wanted to say no, but she eventually nodded. "Please."

It felt weird to be climbing the tree again so soon, fetching the bag when he wasn't slick with sweat and covered in dirt and loose strands of fur. Stranger still was not having Becky beside him as he started to transform. The worst, though, the absolute worst, was watching her pull her clothing back on, piece by piece. It reminded him of a funeral procession, all her movements slow and heavy, as if her entire body was in mourning and in a way, he supposed it was. The full moon had been an intrinsic part of Becky's life ever since she was a child, and Seth hated to see it taken away from her. He wasn't sure what, if anything, he could do, but if there was any hope, any solution, he would track it down and set it at her feet like an offering. She deserved the solace of the night, the joy of the moon, and he would do whatever it took to restore it to her, because the alternative—the solemn, sullen Becky that was curled up on the blanket, blowing him a kiss as he started his run—was too much to bear.


	5. Chapter 5

"We're going to figure this out." Seth had lost track of how often he had said something to that effect after Becky's nearly disastrous shift at the hotel on the new moon. At the beginning, he had even believed it. As the days wore on, though, maintaining hope got harder and harder, and when Becky couldn't shift at the next full moon either, his worry started to turn into something more insidious. "At least we know you can still shift, right? That's something."

"It's something," Becky echoed, but he could tell her heart wasn't in it. Not that he could blame her. Being a werewolf was as much a part of what made her _her_ as wrestling was, and temporarily losing wrestling had almost broken her. "I just wish someone knew _something_ that could help." She had contacted all the werewolves she knew in the United States— _all_ being a handful at best—and asked if they had ever heard of a werewolf being utterly unable to shift on the full moon or being forced to transform on the new moon. None of them had ever heard of such a thing, not even in the 'friend of a friend' way, and her family hadn't been able to find out anything either. Having Seth try to shift on a new moon was the last thing they could think to try. "I'm sorry," Becky said softly. "If you want someone to shift with on the full moons, I can ask the American werewolves I know and see if anyone's interested at all. . . ."

"I'm used to shifting alone, remember? The only reason it bothers me now is because I like shifting with you." They had arrived at their chosen spot a few hours early this time, mostly because they hadn't spent the afternoon having sex; Becky's mother had discreetly suggested 'limiting activities beforehand to see if it makes a difference', and they both thought it was worth a try. It wasn't like there weren't twenty-some other days in the month they could enjoy. Becky had still grown antsy, though, so they headed out early to check out the area and were now sitting, clothed and cuddling, up against a tree. "Maybe the first time was an anomaly," he suggested, "and the second time was . . . self-fulfilling prophecy or whatever. You were so convinced it was going to happen again that you jinxed yourself."

Becky rolled her eyes and rested her head against his shoulder. "I don't think so. If we had that much control over our transformations," she pointed out, "why wouldn't we just . . . will ourselves not to shift on the full moon when it was inconvenient?" Her accent came out full tilt when she sang, " _Wolf, wolf, stay away, come back when it's not pay-per-view day_?"

"Hey, it's just a theory." Seth tightened his arms around her. The night was starting to cool off already and he knew they should begin, but Becky's worry was contagious. If they were just sitting and chatting, it was easier to pretend that nothing was wrong. As intrinsic as their werewolf natures were to their lives, the actual shifting and running took a very small amount of time; the rest of the month, it was quite easy to lose themselves in being human. He loved running with Becky, but he cherished the quiet moments like this too, when they didn't have to be either a wolf or human, just themselves.

But Becky's wolf wasn't quite so serene. "We're stalling," she said softly, turning around in his arms and kissing him. She wasn't exactly in a hurry to get off his lap either, but she kept the kiss mild enough that they didn't lose their focus. "Come on. Time to see if I'm still a werewolf, I guess."

_Think positive,_ Seth wanted to say, but he knew how trite that would sound. It was easy to be upbeat and offer suggestions when he wasn't the one with the affliction. Becky had been getting so much advice from all sides—even other wrestlers, who attributed her mood to her stale booking—that he was surprised she hadn't told everyone to fuck off, himself included. Throughout it all, she just smiled and thanked people for their concern and said she was okay, but he knew better. He knew how her legs kicked out as she slept on the full moon night, missing their run. He knew how her hands ached, how her jaw felt too tight. He knew pretty much everything except how to help. "Ladies first?" he offered, standing up and holding out his hand to her.

"That depends on our friend up there." Becky tilted her head back and stared up at the sky, almost otherworldly with its sunset glow; the new moon wasn't visible, even to them, but werewolves could still feel all the phases in their own way. "Please." She said it only once, and softly at that, but it still wrenched Seth's heart.

They stripped down efficiently, not making a teasing show of it; Becky's stress level was too high and Seth was too worried on her behalf for either of them to feel amorous under the circumstances. "Now who's stalling?" Seth asked with a small smile as Becky folded up her clothes before handing them over to him.

At least he got a smile from her. "Just trying to make sure there's room for your ridiculous shoes." She went on tiptoe and kissed him, tugging out his hair elastic for him yet again. "You keep forgetting."

Seth laughed and kissed her again. "Can you blame me? It means I get an extra kiss from the most beautiful woman in the world."

Becky played along, even if her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "Where is she? I'll kick her ass." Once Seth had closed the bag and started climbing the tree, Becky stretched her arms out wide, as if she could embrace the entire sunset. "It's going to feel weird, running when it's not dark. If it happens, that is." The change that came over her at the hotel had been involuntary, so they had been careful all day long, sticking to locations with easy places to hide. "Maybe—"

"No _maybe_ s," Seth urged as his feet hit the ground. "Just do your best. I love you."

"Love you too." Becky was shaking as she crouched down, but it was difficult to tell how much of that was nerves and how much was simple shivering. After a moment, she glanced over at Seth. "Well? Enjoying the view again?"

"Of course." Seth quickly fell into place beside her, leaving enough space that they wouldn't inhibit each other's transformations. He gave his back one last stretch before starting to shift.

Or at least he thought he did. He felt the rush of energy, the near-cracking of bones, the sudden brush of fur, but when he looked down, he saw hands pressed to the ground, not paws. His gaze travelled up arms, not front legs; he had no tail to wag, only hair to flip out of his face.

Meanwhile, Becky was in full wolf form, stretching and testing out her new limbs. When she turned back and saw him still in his human body, she almost jumped in his lap. _Now!_ she yipped, pressing her wet nose under his chin. _Wolf now!_

On the blue moon, when Becky couldn't shift, she had been utterly stricken. Seth simply felt confused. He had done everything just like normal, like he had done hundreds of times in his life, and he hadn't even sprouted a claw or a single strand of fur; the transformation he felt must have been Becky's. "I tried," he said, voice oddly flat as he looked at his very human hand."I thought . . . I thought I changed. I did. I felt it and everything."

Becky backed up, leaving just her front paws on his knees. The confusion in her gaze was palpable, and it had nothing to do with trying to translate human speech. _Again?_ The word sounded like a whine coming from a wolf's mouth, but Seth could hear the hope in it, the joy waiting to erupt.

Seth could already feel that it wasn't going to happen; his muscles had the same stiffness they got after a workout when he pushed himself too hard. But it was impossible to look in those eyes, so lupine and still so _Becky_ , and not try again. So he did, over and over until his shoulders felt like they were going to dislocate. Becky stayed close and, when that didn't help, trotted to the edge of the clearing, watching him from behind a tree; if his body hadn't felt like an utter ruin, Seth would have thought the image of a wolf spying on him was adorable. "Fuck." Exhausted, he flopped back against the blanket. The sky was almost completely dark now, freckled with stars. "I'm sorry, Becks."

Howling mournfully, Becky came beck over and rested her head on his chest, and he ruffled her fur. Since they usually transformed together, it wasn't something he got to do often; on the first new moon where she had shifted, he had been too focussed on getting her to a safe place to admire her wolf form from his human perspective. _Quick run,_ she promised, nuzzling his cheek before she stepped back off the blanket.

Shaking his head, Seth forced himself to sit up. "No. No, Becks. It's been a month. You need your run. You take all the time you need, okay? I'll be here." Then he held his arms out, wrapping them around her when she returned to his side. "I'm sorry," he whispered by her ear. "But we'll find out what's going on and we'll fix it and then the first time we're able to shift together, on whichever moon, we'll take a vacation and stay in a cabin and. . . ." He kept rambling, even though he knew Becky's wolf brain wouldn't be able to keep up. It was more for him anyway; he always did better if he had a goal in mind.

_Quick run,_ she repeated with a firm snort, resting her head on his shoulder for a moment before heading back into the trees. She kept looking back, though, until she was out of Seth's line of sight.

Once Seth was sure Becky was actually running, he went back up the tree and got the bag, though he only put on his shorts. Then he walked back to the SUV to get his phone. There was virtually no service where they were, but he started making notes about things to look up online. Once he had exhausted his ideas—there weren't many avenues they hadn't checked yet—he hiked around the general area, careful to stay close so Becky wouldn't be alarmed if she came back to find him gone.

By the time Becky had returned, Seth had found an old deer trail and taken pictures of some gnarled trees and was scrolling through them. Becky came over and rested her muzzle on his forearm. _Too long? Sorry._

Seth kissed the top of her head. "You needed it. I'm glad you had a good run." Setting his phone aside, he took the opportunity to hug her again, burying his face in her fur. Their lives had been so parallel before and now it felt like someone had knocked them just subtly off pace, and it was starting to look like they may never be in sync again.


	6. Chapter 6

"Are you sure you feel up to a video chat?" Becky asked again. "Then they'll see if you blush." A week had passed since the new moon when she shifted and Seth could not, and they exhausted what few leads they had. Since they were guessing that Becky now had to shift on new moons and Seth on full moons, they tried to pick a time a safe distance from either phase.

Seth just shrugged. "They'll be able to tell from my voice anyway. Besides, I've met Caitlin, so it can't get much worse than that, right?" When she didn't answer right away, he paused. "She's the worst of them, isn't she?" They had chosen to call on one of their days off so they didn't have to worry about privacy in a hotel, and Becky had suggested a day when they were at Seth's place so he would feel more comfortable.

Becky hesitated, focussing on propping up her tablet so it would show them both. "Yeah. Usually. Anyway," she added, clearing her throat, "we'll just be talking with my dad today, so it shouldn't really matter. Ready?" Working out a time to call while taking the time zones into account was another hurdle, but luckily her father was used to accommodating her weird schedule.

"I'm not so sure now . . ." Even though Ken always seemed to be dressed like a worldly professor, Seth felt comfortable in his t-shirt and shorts. "But go ahead."

"Okay." Once the tablet was in place, Becky pressed the button to start the call, and she could feel her spirits lift when her father's face came on the screen. "Hi, Da! How are you?"

"Hello, Rebecca." Her full name always sounded so warm and welcoming when he said it. "Hello, Seth. How are you both? Aside from the obvious, that is." Becky had called a few days prior to give him a general update, which in turn gave him time to do some brainstorming and research on his end. 

"Not too bad. The European tour is soon," Becky added, "so we'll be able to visit, hopefully." In all the tumult, she had forgotten to mention the upcoming tour to her family. "Don't suppose you found any answers, did you?"

"One, possibly two. So, Rebecca, starting at the blue moon, you've only been able to change at the new moon, correct?" Ken started ticking off points on his fingers. "And Seth, you can change at the full moon like normal, but not at the new moon, yes?"

Seth nodded. "And we've both tried shifting on completely random days in between, but we can't."

"That's very strange. None of the werewolves we know have ever heard of it," Ken continued, "and we even asked on the continent."

Becky subtly elbowed Seth in the side when he started to chuckle at _the continent_. "I asked the few werewolves I've met here," Becky replied, "and they don't know either. So what are your possible answers then?"

Ken hemmed and hawed, adjusting his glasses. "It's not an answer you'll like, Rebecca. Not the first one, anyway."

Her gut felt like she had guzzled a pitcher of ice water all at once. "What do you mean?" She sat up a bit straighter, relaxing only when Seth tugged on her arm. "What did you find?"

"I suppose it's more of a theory than an answer, to be fair," Ken hedged. "It's simple, but . . . if this switch started on a blue moon, perhaps it will end on one."

"But blue moons are rare, aren't they?" Seth glanced over at Becky, who was furiously swiping through screens on her phone.

"They're years apart, Dad!" Becky held her phone up to her tablet's camera lens. "The next one is almost three years away."

Ken grimaced in sympathy. "I did say you wouldn't like it, sweetheart. And as I said, it was simply a theory." He took his glasses off and blew on the lenses to clear away some dust. 

Becky thought she had cried every tear allotted to her on the full moon when she couldn't shift, but she felt her eyes start to sting. "I . . . three years. Fuck." She lowered her head and looked away. "Well, like you said, it's a theory. At least there would be an end in sight, right? What's your other answer? Or is that a theory too?"

Her father gave her a warm, crooked smile, making her feel both guilty and reassured. "More of a theory. Well, perhaps less of a theory than a possible cause. . . ."

Becky groaned. "Dad, we need _answers_ , not more questions! It's hard enough working around the full moon. If we have to work around the full moon _and_ the new moon, someone's bound to start asking questions." She leaned back against Seth and sighed, reaching up to squeeze his hand when he draped his arm around her shoulders. "I can't . . . I can't give up wrestling again."

"I know, sweetheart. I know. And I don't want you to." Ken took a deep breath. "This just started, right? You never had anything strange happen on any other blue moon that you can recall?"

"They would have been so long ago. . . ." Becky glanced over to Seth, but she knew he wouldn't be able to fill in the more distant blanks in her memory. "I can't recall ever having problems shifting before, Dad. Maybe one time took a little longer than another or it hurt a bit more, but there was always a reason: an injury, stress, _something_. I can't think of anything that sparked this."

"The caves." Ken didn't say it in a particularly ominous tone, but in isolation, it hung in the air like the echo of a bell, making Becky's bones tremble.

Seth looked at Ken's face on the screen and then Becky's beside him. While she definitely resembled her mother more, he could see hints of her father in her eyes, her smile. "What caves?" he asked when neither father nor daughter spoke. "What about the caves?"

Becky's mood had darkened perceptibly. "Remember the park where we ran with my family? The one with the hollow tree?" She dropped her voice a bit as she said the last part.

Ken still heard it, of course, and he laughed. "Rebecca, we all know about the tree. Every single one of us has tried something in there. No shame in that."

While Seth went silent, scouring his memories, Becky poked his side. "We didn't go in the caves the first time. I wanted to show you the tree. But when we went back at Christmas. . . ."

Seth's eyes went wide. So much had happened during their holiday visit to Ireland that it was hard to keep track of it all. Since her relatives all had other obligations, there were multiple parties so she could see as many of them as possible. Then they had celebrated with each of her parents separately and made sure they had a few days on their own. The full moon had been a shared event, but they had still carved out some time for themselves. "The trail," he said slowly. "It led past those caves. They felt. . . ."

"Dark?" Ken nodded grimly. "None of us are old enough to recall what happened in the caves, but we can all feel that energy. We generally give them a wide berth, but as with all such places, they hold a forbidden-fruit appeal to the young and . . . ah, amorous."

"Right." The way Seth drew out the single word verified that he now remembered the caves quite clearly. Becky knew all about the eerie energy that surrounded them and she and Seth had been more enthused with the hollow tree on their first visit. During their Christmas run, however, the allure had been too difficult to resist and they had ducked inside. There hadn't been anything particularly horrible within—some old animal bones, as was to be expected, and debris blown in by the wind—but the ambience had made Becky shiver. Seth had gone to comfort her and, at that heady stage of their relationship, it didn't take them long to progress from kissing to fucking. "The caves."

Ken gave them both an indulgent look. "Did you happen to go into the caves when we were there?"

Becky nodded. "We did." She tried to keep her voice neutral while stating the obvious so her father wouldn't have to ask, but part of her knew he would want it on the record, so to speak.

"I don't want details," Ken said simply, "but did you—either of you, or both—do anything in the caves that might have . . . invoked energy, shall we say?"

Glancing over at Seth, Becky chuckled. "Let's say _yes_ , for argument's sake. What are you saying? That we triggered some sort of . . . curse or something?"

"Like I said, Rebecca, none of us really know what happened in the caves to make them feel the way they do. When energy clings to a place, it pays attention. If you attract its attention," Ken continued, "who knows how that might manifest? If a jealous lover killed their partner in there, perhaps the lingering spirit now hates all happy lovers. Maybe you were simply the nearest people at hand. Magic rarely makes sense; that's what makes it magic."

Becky shook her head incredulously, burying her face in her hands for a moment. "So if that's the case, then what? Do we go back and . . . apologize? Make an offering? Hire an exorcist?"

Ken's shrug was effortlessly elegant. "I don't know, Rebecca. I wish I did. I'll try looking in some local archives, see if I can find anything about the history of the area. In the meantime, be careful, and make note of any changes you experience. You too, Seth. Even if they seem minor." His expression softened as he added, "We'll get things back to normal, sweetheart. I promise. I'm not sure how yet, but we will."

"Thanks, Da." They chatted a bit longer, Seth politely excusing himself so father and daughter could have a private chat. When she finally ended the call, Becky stood and stretched, laughing to herself as she joined Seth in his den. "Well, there's another thing not to tell Roman. _We had sex in a cave and now we're cursed._ " She sat down by Seth and kissed his cheek. "It can't have been the tree. Almost every werewolf has sex in there, so it's clearly not cursed."

"If its bark could talk," Seth replied, setting aside his phone and hugging Becky to his side. "So what do you think?"

Becky shut her eyes as she rested her head against his chest. "I don't know. The blue-moon theory doesn't make much sense. We've both lived through blue moons and nothing weird happened, so why now? And no, I'm not just saying that because I don't want to wait almost three years for . . . whatever this is to be reversed."

Laughing, Seth kissed her forehead. "No, you're right. It doesn't make sense for it to happen just like that. But there's a lot about being a werewolf that doesn't make sense." He stroked her hair slowly, toying with her side braid. "What about the caves?" 

His eyes darkened as he asked, so at least Becky knew he didn't regret it. "I don't know. I mean . . . it's not like we have any other answers, right? And I guess it makes sense in a way. It's had a weird feel to it for as long as I can remember, and when me and my cousins were kids, we would always dare each other to go in. But running in and grabbing an old bone is different than—"

"Going in and boning? Yeah." Seth tickled her behind the knees. "So maybe my moon religion theory isn't that far off. Maybe we angered some ancient Celtic moon sprite and now we have to make amends or something."

Becky arched an eyebrow. "Ancient Celtic moon sprite?" Then she sighed, snuggling up closer to him. "At least the European tour is soon, right? If it is something we can fix by going to the cave, then we just have to put up with . . . this for a few more months." The idea of running alone, running out with Seth, for several more moons twisted like a knife in her gut. "We would just have to reconfigure our calendars and notifications and check the event schedule even closer than normal and—" She stopped suddenly and looked up at Seth. "If you want to, I mean. We can shift separately until the tour if you want. I mean, we could still help each other find good spots—it's good practice—but then you'd still have your new-moon nights free and—"

Seth cupped her face and kissed her. "Whether I can see the moon or not, whether I can shift or not, whether I shift or you do, I want to be there with you. As long as you'll have me." The kiss turned long and slow, his hands sliding under the hem of her shirt. "But maybe for the time being, we should avoid sex in caves. You never know how many ancient Celtic moon sprites immigrated over here, right?"

Straddling his lap, Becky laughed. They still didn't really have any answers, but they had a few more avenues to explore, which was better than nothing. "Like you wouldn't _give an offering_ to a moon sprite if you had the chance."

"Maybe that's what you are now," Seth quipped. "Possessed by a moon sprite."

"You wish."

Seth held her gaze steadily, equal measures silly and serious. "Nope. I just want you. Human, werewolf, moon sprite, whatever you are."

Maybe the full moon didn't want her devotion anymore, but at least Seth did. It was a new anchor, a new beacon in the midst of all the upheaval, and she was grateful for it.


	7. Chapter 7

For a werewolf, no matter how much they enjoyed their human life, the time in between full moons always passed slowly. A moon's cycle marked a month, give or take, but now that Becky and Seth were beholden to different phases, the time seemed twice as long. They had both been able to have their run, but not being able to run together was starting to take its toll. To Seth, it felt like a key part of their relationship was suddenly missing. He and Becky had been good friends before they learned each other's secrets and now they were a couple, but it was their werewolf nature that had bridged that gap; without it, the strain was palpable.

The worst times were around the full moons. The new moons had their own tension, since Becky was still mentally accustomed to shifting on the full-moon nights. Her body might have been getting ready, but her brain was still getting accustomed to its new schedule—and fighting it every step of the way. On new-moon days, Seth would go running along with her—restricted to his human form, much to his dismay—so they could at least share part of the experience. Since they went out earlier, though, they occasionally ran into unsuspecting humans, and then Becky had to pretend to be a skittish malamute, and Seth always had to have a leash and collar handy just in case.

The full moons, though, were bittersweet for them both. Becky obviously missed her normal rhythms; sometimes she tried to shift, just to see if anything had changed, but her body stubbornly refused to cooperate. For Seth it was difficult to balance the primal joy he felt when he shifted and ran with the heart-wrenching sympathy he felt for Becky. Even when he was younger and thought he would always be shifting alone, the full moon was his saving grace; it got him through as many bad times as wrestling did. Becky having the new moons was better than her not being able to transform at all, but he knew it would never be the same.

"Have you heard anything more about the European tour?" Becky asked, curled up in his lap. She had just finished her new-moon run and would normally still be naked, but since they had been encountering more people on new-moon days, she was starting to get dressed as soon as she had returned to human form. It was yet another concession she was being forced to make, and Seth hated that her shifts had now become almost like errands to fulfill rather than treats to enjoy.

Seth started to reply but hesitated. "I don't think so. I haven't heard anyone talk about it for a few weeks, anyway. Why?"

Shutting her eyes, Becky cuddled closer, resting her forehead against his jaw. "Doesn't that seem weird to you? It's supposed to be less than two months away," she pointed out, "and normally we would be reserving hotels, planning meet and greets, all that. Hunter mentioned wanting me and Finn to do some visits and interviews. And now no one's talking about any of it."

"Yeah, you're right." There were so many things to consider for the overseas tours, from SIM cards for their phones to scheduling interviews and health checks; some countries required cultural sensitivity training so the wrestlers were aware of customs not common in America. "I'm supposed to talk to Hunter tomorrow anyway. I'll ask him about it." Becky was more than capable, he knew, but her temper had been flaring without warning, so she was trying to keep her interactions to a minimum. Since she was normally such a fixture in the locker room, it meant that almost everyone was asking Seth what was wrong. They had settled on a story about a family member being in ill health, since it would tie in with wanting to go to Ireland, but neither of them liked lying; so far, though, neither of them had needed to do it often.

"Thank you." Her sigh was more sombre than serene, and Seth couldn't wait until their runs were shared again, when Becky didn't have to think before she smiled.

When Seth met with Hunter the next afternoon, he already had a bad feeling heading into the meeting. "What's up?" he asked, sliding into the restaurant booth where Hunter was waiting. Stephanie and Hunter didn't usually attend house shows, but some of the local enhancement talent—the newer, nicer term for jobbers—was promising and Hunter wanted to see them for himself. NXT was growing by leaps and bounds and he was always on the lookout for new talent.

Hunter glanced up from his menu. "No Becky?"

Seth shook his head. "You only asked to talk to me," he pointed out. The day after a transformation could be touchy anyway, so they both figured it was safer if she stayed at the hotel. He took a quick glance at the menu when he saw the server approaching and ordered the first thing that caught his eye. Once she had left with their orders, Seth turned back to Hunter. "She's just at the hotel if you need to talk to her, though. . . ."

"No, that's fine. I'm just used to seeing you two together, that's all." There was a surprising amount of concern in Hunter's eyes as he added, "Everything okay? With her, with you two. . . ?"

"Huh? Yeah, yeah. Just some health problems in her family, so she's a bit stressed." Seth smiled up at the server as she set down their drinks. "It's hard for her, being so far away from them, not being able to help." It was a perfect lead-in to his question, but he figured he should let Hunter conduct his business first. "So what's up?"

"Two things. First, I'd appreciate you sitting in on the scouting tonight," Hunter began, unfolding his napkin smoothly. Seth was always somewhat surprised by how elegant Hunter's movements could be. It was easy to dismiss Triple H as just another wrestler, but he could fit in with the prim and proper crowd just as readily. "Just during the matches. It won't eat into your free time. Since you have your academy now, I'd be interested in your feedback from a teacher's perspective."

Seth blinked in surprise. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting from the meeting, but it certainly wasn't that. WWE knew about Black and Brave and approved of his venture, but they didn't officially endorse it—or any of their wrestlers' side projects. Even with his academy, Seth had hoped to still have a place in WWE after he retired, so he was glad that Hunter seemed to value his input. "Sure. I'd be happy to. What's the second thing?"

"We're making some changes to the tag division," Hunter explained, sipping at his drink. "So we want to have some interim champions. You pair up well with a lot of guys, so you're on the list of potentials. Think about who you'd like to tag with and give me a few names by the end of the week."

That was another thing Seth wasn't expecting and between the surprises and the impromptu brainstorming session that followed, he almost forgot about Becky's question until after their food arrived. "What's going on with the European tour?" he asked. "Becky and I haven't heard anything more about it, so we were wondering if we had been taken off the card or something. She was really looking forward to going home and seeing family. . . ." He wasn't above a subtle guilt trip, especially considering the circumstances.

Hunter's eyebrows rose. "Didn't the memo go out? Shit. I thought Haley was on that. Hold on." He grabbed his phone and sent a few quick texts before returning to his food. "Yeah, there's going to be some delays. That new arena in Paris already has some major roof leaks, so they need to do repairs, but they still want us to be the first event. But if we push them back, then we have to reschedule all the other dates too."

Seth felt his heart sink. "Reschedule?" he echoed. Becky was definitely not going to be happy. 

"Yeah. Not a big deal. It's probably only delayed six months or so. We're not cancelling outright or anything; the interest is still there. And it might actually be a good thing, because some venues in Australia opened up, so we can sneak in another tour there in the meantime." Hunter shot him a curious look. "Why? Big plans in mind?"

_Yes, like figuring how what happened to Becky and how we can fix it._ He could hardly tell Hunter that, though. Back in Ireland, Ken and other family members were researching the history of the caves and abnormal werewolf reactions, and according to Annette's last call, they thought they might have found some useful information. None of that would matter, though, if Becky couldn't get to the caves. "Well, Becky really wanted to visit her family, given everything that's going on," he stammered. The next bit came out of his mouth before his brain had even finished forming the thought: "And I was going to propose."

Hunter gave an appreciative nod. "Awkward timing, I'd say, but if a family member's sick, I get that. You want to make sure they can be there. Well done, Rollins. Can't say I suspected that. You're good at keeping secrets."

_You don't know the half of it,_ Seth thought, heart racing. Where had the idea of proposing come from? He loved Becky and knew she loved him back, but their relationship was still fairly young and they both seemed to be content as they were. _Please don't ask about a ring,_ he thought feverishly. Imagining an engagement ring on the fly was beyond him. "Not that good. I was hoping I wouldn't have to keep it a secret much longer."

Grabbing his phone, Hunter scrolled through a few screens. "I could probably swing a week off for you two, if that helps. Or were you aiming for a special day?"

Seth tried to think as quickly as he could. Would it be better to be at the caves at another full moon, echoing how everything began? Or would a new moon be better, so Becky could be in wolf form? They hadn't heard back from Ken yet, so he had no clue. "Wow. I don't know, to be honest." _At least I don't have to fake being stunned,_ he thought. Time off was a rarity in the WWE, and to have it _offered_ instead of asking for it was even less common. "Can I have a few days to think about it?" he asked. "I really appreciate the offer, but since it will involve her family, I need to see what their schedules are like too. They had been planning around the original UK tour dates, so I'm not sure how quickly they can shuffle things around."

"Sure. Let me know as soon as you can, though. We don't want to get you—either of you—in a hot storyline only to have you both mysteriously gone for one week, you know? Then the Twitterers will just be coming up with a bunch of theories," Hunter added, "and with your luck, one of them will suggest a proposal and then your surprise would be ruined."

"I'll let you know right away," Seth agreed, shovelling food into his mouth in hopes that it would calm his stomach. There was already so much to do: figure out what had happened or at least how to reverse it, go to Ireland and try to repair whatever had gone wrong, keep Becky calm in the meantime. Now he had to add _get a fake engagement ring_ to the list in order to keep up the lie on the human side of the equation.

Unhelpfully, just as he was swallowing a mouthful, his brain had to add, _Who says it has to be fake?_ , which launched him into a coughing fit.

Hunter, who started a laughing fit of his own, chalked Seth's coughs up to pre-proposal nerves. "Don't worry, Rollins. You'll do fine. It's better if you're a bit nervous anyway. It's more genuine. If you're too smooth and polished, it looks rehearsed. Just be honest and make sure you have the ring facing the right away, and it'll all fall into place." 

As Seth recovered, Hunter shared how he proposed to Stephanie and Seth did his best to listen intently, but the only words that lingered in his head were his own. _Who says it has to be fake?_


	8. Chapter 8

"What did Hunter want?" Becky had wanted to ask Seth as soon as he got back, but she didn't want to pry. He normally brought stuff up right away so he wouldn't forget any details, but this time he had kissed her and said he had to talk to Marek about the academy quickly. By the time he was off the phone, it was time to head to the event, and then he was helping Hunter prepare the enhancement talent for the night. Then they both had matches and after a late-night coffee chat with Cesaro, Becky had completely forgotten until she checked her messages at the hotel and listened to one from her cousin.

Seth's eyes went comically wide, which was her first indication that something was up. "Business lunch," he said quickly. "He wants me to get more involved with the screening and preparation of the enhancement talent at the house shows." The more he talked, though, the more he calmed down. "And he wants me to think of potential tag team partners, so maybe you can help me make a list?"

Becky nodded. "Sure. Too bad you and Cesaro aren't on the same show. You'd be great together." Something was still niggling at her, however, but she wasn't sure how to word it. _Did he say anything about me?_ sounded far too egotistical, even though she knew Seth would understand what she meant. "I was worried that someone made a complaint about me and he didn't want to confront me directly, so he talked to you first," she said at last. It wasn't much better, but it was a very real worry that had been plaguing her. She had retreated from a lot of locker-room life and tried to be as upbeat as she could during the times she couldn't bow out, but she had heard some of the other women whispering about her, wondering what was wrong. The prevailing theory was that she and Seth were breaking up; others thought her work visa might have expired. She didn't want them to get on Seth's case, so she made a point of telling Natalya that someone in her family was gravely ill; between her voice carrying and Natalya's habit of sharing news, Becky figured the entire locker room would know before midnight.

She watched Seth for any signs that he was trying to hide something from her, but he looked more confused than anything. "He said you seemed a bit down," he replied at last, stretching out beside her on the bed. "So I gave him the 'sick family member' story. He hopes they have a speedy recovery."

"Did you ask him about the tour?" Becky rested her head on his chest and looked up at him. She had always found him attractive and thought that constantly seeing him naked might dim that, but it hadn't. If anything, knowing he was a werewolf only heightened his appeal. He thought she had the advantage in many ways since she had grown up in a pack, but as a mostly solitary wolf, he had gotten used to dealing with—and dating—humans. She, on the other hand, had grown up within a pack, so the idea of not being able to find a werewolf partner never really occurred to her; she just hadn't expected to find one overseas, one who had started out as a friend.

"I . . . yeah." Seth let his hand settle on her hip, drawing lazy circles there. "It's been delayed. Not cancelled," he added quickly, "just delayed. There's problems with the new arena in Paris, I guess, and since that's the cornerstone, everything's being pushed back."

Becky's heart started racing so quickly she almost thought she was shifting again, and she kept staring at her hands to make sure they didn't start sprouting fur or claws. "Delayed? For how long?"

Seth kissed her temple. "Hunter thought about six months."

"Months?" Becky shut her eyes and tried to take a deep breath, but her chest felt too tight. "Six _months?_ " She had been looking forward to the trip so much. Seeing her family, visiting her homeland, hopefully having this damnable curse or whatever it was broken: the promise of all those things had kept her going and now it was out of sight again. She had been counting down the days, the moons, until all this stress would be over, and now she would have to possibly wait _half a year?_

"It could be quicker," Seth said with more speed than conviction. "And Hunter said—"

"Hunter said _six months._ " It was almost a sob, but one full of frustration and anger rather than sorrow. She burrowed even closer to Seth, unable to meet his gaze. He had been doing so much to help her ever since that wretched blue moon; he couldn't possibly want to do six more months of schedule juggling, mood swings, and emotional support. "I can't. I can't do six more months like this," she whispered, breath rattling in her lungs. " _I can't._ "

"Hey." One of Seth's hands cradled her head while the other stroked her back, trying to calm her down. "Hey. Don't think like that. I told him the sick family member story, remember? He didn't ask for details, thankfully." Becky felt his fingers twitch in her hair when he said that, but she was too upset to question it. "I told him you were really looking forward to going back to visit with family, and he said he could probably arrange a week off for us, but I didn't know when would be best. He needs to know soon, though, so he can tell Creative." He held her closer for a long while before speaking again. "Did your family have any suggestions?"

Becky couldn't answer for a long while. Her whole body was shaking so badly that Seth pulled the covers up, even though he was already warm, and he held her so close she thought she could hear her ribs creaking. "Dad thought it might be best to go on a full moon," she murmured at last, "since that's when it started. He said the rest of the family could be nearby in case we needed help, but they would stay far enough away that. . . ."

"That if there is some weird magic going on in the cave, it doesn't affect them too," Seth finished for her. "That makes sense." Then he pulled her on top of him and cupped her face. "We'll figure something out. We will. If we can't reverse this, then we'll figure out a way to deal with it, okay? You adjusted to shifting with me, remember?"

Her laugh bubbled out of her, awkward and rough. "Not well. At least not at first."

" _At first._ Key words." Seth let one hand drift down. "You were trying to be conscientious. Objective. You didn't want me to feel indebted to you. I get that. I didn't at the time," he confessed, "and I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong, especially when I thought you wanted me, but—"

"I did. I do." Becky felt Seth's breathing catch and she settled back down against him. "But you never bargained on something like this. I can understand if you—"

"Want to go to Ireland with you and see what we can do to reverse it?" Seth did his best to turn the conversation more positive. "Thank you. Because I'm going. We're both affected, remember? We should be able to change at any time, shouldn't we?"

Becky shrugged half-heartedly. "Yeah. Most urban werewolves only do the minimum because of all the risks involved. Some more rural werewolves spend entire days or weeks in wolf form." The latter wasn't a type of life she could lead, but that didn't mean she couldn't see the appeal.

Apparently Seth could as well, because he gave a low chuckle. "Buying some land with a forest, running for days on end . . . I could see it. Not right now, of course, but later." He ran his fingers up and down her spine.

"We don't technically need a forested area," Becky said, taking refuge in facts because the future seemed so nebulous. "That's more for privacy. And hunting, I guess, but that's not such a concern in modern times. Most of us still eat human food after a run." She knew some werewolves who took more of a natural approach, hunting during their run and eating their kill afterwards. Idly, she wondered if Daniel Bryan would approve: he would likely appreciate the natural aspect of it, but be against the slaughter of an animal that, strictly speaking, didn't need to die.

"We'd have to watch out for hunters, though. Wouldn't want to get shot or caught in a trap because someone thought we were a threat." Seth brushed some of her hair over her shoulder. "Next full moon is between a RAW and SmackDown. We could aim for then."

Becky bristled a bit, digging her fingers into his shoulders. As much as she wanted to reverse whatever had been done to her— _and Seth,_ she had to remind herself—part of her worried that trying to fix it might only end up making it worse. At least their current situation was bearable. It was far from ideal, transforming two weeks apart from each other, but at least they could both still shift. They were still both healthy, in human form and as wolves. If the cave could twist their very natures just because they had sex, who knows what could happen when they were actively trying magic? "I'm scared." She kissed his chest as she said it. It was hard to admit, especially given everything he had done to help, but Seth deserved the truth. "What if we just end up making things worse?"

"Becks, the only way things will be worse is if we're not together." Seth rolled her onto her back and kissed her long enough that she got dizzy. "I love being a werewolf. You know I do. But if that cave or its magic or whatever would make me a plain human, I wouldn't care as long as I was still with you."

She reached up and covered his mouth with her hand. "Shhh. Don't give it ideas."

Seth laughed, moving down to kiss her neck. "The cave's in Ireland. I think I'm okay. But I won't antagonize it when we're there, I promise. I'll tell it that it's a very good cave."

"You're ridiculous." It was the last thing either of them said for a while, busying themselves with kissing and teasing and bringing each other almost to the brink with only their hands. As her eyes started flutter, Becky sighed, "You can top tonight."

"Oh, I can, can I?" Seth searched her face for a moment before grabbing her hips roughly, letting his thumbs dig in. He knew there were times when she just needed to not think, but it didn't make her any less enthusiastic or engaged. "As long as you remember your word."

Becky nodded. "I do. And I—" The rest of her sentence was muffled as Seth flipped her over and pressed her hard against the bed, echoing her body so closely she could feel all the muscles in his chest against her back.

"Hands against the headboard," Seth growled into her ear, tugging on her hair until she looked up at him. "And no biting your lip or your pillow. I want you loud."

She glanced at the wall behind the headboard. "Our neighbours might disagree," Becky pointed out, moaning as Seth started to finger her. His erection was already pressing against her thigh and she tried to wriggle into a better position, but Seth smacked her ass for her efforts.

"That's not going to be a problem." Seth's laugh was low enough to make her shiver. "Corey and Carmella are on the one side, and they're out at a club. Roman's on the other," he added, entering her hard enough to make her cry out, "and he expects nothing less from us, so we shouldn't disappoint him."


	9. Chapter 9

_I should be happy,_ Becky thought, even though sadness seemed to press at her from all sides, pushing and prodding and leaving her feeling emotionally bruised. Seth was sitting beside her, headphones over his ears as he listened to some playlist Joshy had put together for him. They were currently flying over the Atlantic Ocean, due to arrive in Ireland in less than an hour. She was going to get to see her family again, and even earlier than expected. So why wasn't she happy? The circumstances were admittedly less than ideal, but anything was better than the agony she was already in. _Enjoy this,_ she told herself, hugging Seth's arm and leaning against his shoulder. _It may be one of the last times you can._ Seth had told her over and over that when they shifted didn't matter to him—he just wanted to be with her—but she had an ominous feeling about this trip.

They had debated where Becky should sit: if she took the window seat, she would have less interaction with people—and thus fewer irritations—but would be less likely to get to a bathroom if she felt a sudden shift coming on. Her father had sent her some syringes by courier just a few days before, claiming their contents could inhibit or reverse a transformation in case of an emergency. It obviously wasn't something to be used on a whim, but at least she wouldn't have to worry about shifting in front of a plane full of people. Since they were disguised as pens, Becky had been able to put them in her carry-on luggage without any concerns, but she found herself checking her bag compulsively, making sure the pens—uniquely marked so she didn't accidentally lend them to anyone—were still where they should be. When she started to reach for her bag yet again, Seth gently caught her wrist, taking his headphones off one ear with his other hand. "They're fine. You're fine." Then he leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "I should have brought one of my hand-held consoles to keep you distracted."

Becky rolled her eyes. "Because button-mashing with you flinching every three seconds would have been so calming." Reaching up, she pulled him into a kiss, forgetting herself after a while and letting it linger far longer than she normally would in public; the announcement bell, reminding everyone to have their passports ready at the airport, was the only thing that made her pull back. "Sorry," she murmured, moving back and settling her head on his shoulder again. "I know I should be grateful. If nothing else, I get to see my family for few days, but . . . I mean, there's the jet lag and stress and if our plans fall through. . . ."

Seth kissed the top of her head. "Becks, we'll make it work. No matter what. Your dad seemed pretty sure he had found something, right? So there's that."

"Except that _something_ was found by his cousin Malvina and she's not exactly renowned for being the brightest, if you follow me." Becky loved her family, both as kind and as a pack, but Malvina was flighty as hell. She probably found something in a French pastry recipe book and thought it sounded like a spell. As much as Becky wanted to be hopeful, she knew not to pin too much on anything Malvina might have found. 

"As long as it doesn't hurt you," Seth replied, "I think it's worth a shot. But you'll be the one doing it, whatever _it_ turns out to be, so it's up to you." He took his headphones off completely and set them on his lap. "Are you sure you don't want to stay at one of the airport hotels just for the night? I know your dad said he'd come get us, but if you want a bit of space, a bit of time. . . ."

It wasn't like Becky hadn't thought of that herself. All her family members were concerned by her affliction and she knew they all wished her well, but they could also be overwhelming at times and she wasn't in the mood for pity, no matter how genuine. As much as she missed her kin, it would be nice to have one night just with Seth where she could settle her nerves and collect her thoughts. "I know. But he'll be waiting for us at the airport," Becky said at last, "and I'm not going to ask him to come back tomorrow or to stay at the hotel. My family won't be too bad about it. They'll get in a bit of teasing, but then they'll back off; they know this is serious." 

She kept telling herself that as the plane began its descent. When she and Seth got their luggage and went through Customs, she texted her father quickly to let him know they had landed safely and were going to grab a coffee. _Already at the cafe,_ Ken replied. _I ordered your regulars. I hope that's okay?_ Then he listed the name of the cafe so they could meet him there.

The grin that lit up Becky's face was so wide it almost hurt, and she realized she hadn't smiled much in the past few weeks. "Look," she said, tilting the screen so Seth could see. "You have a regular."

Seth's grin was adorably humble. "How do you know he doesn't mean two drinks for you?"

"He doesn't." Becky wrapped her arms around him. Maybe she couldn't have a night alone with him quite yet, but she could take a minute or two to relax against him. For all his infectious energy and incredible drive, he had a strange way of calming her down too. "He likes you."

Seth's breath caught a bit at that, but he rallied quickly, tilting Becky's head up for a kiss. "Good. I'm glad. I like him too." Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a couple looking their way and hoped they weren't wrestling fans going to try asking for an autograph. "Come on. Let's go get those coffees."

They weren't far from the cafe at all and when they arrived, Ken was already standing outside, holding three take-out cups in a travel tray, which he set down on a nearby bench so he could hug his daughter. "Oh, Rebecca. How I've missed you." He held her close for a long minute. "Talking on the phone isn't nearly enough, not even with the screen. How have you been?"

"It's been hard," she admitted. She didn't want to linger on the details, though, or else she would probably start crying. "But hopefully it'll be coming to an end soon."

"Let's hope. Seth, nice to see you again." Ken held out his hand in such a way that invited either a handshake or a hug, and Seth chose the latter. "I'm so glad Becky's had you on the other side of the pond to help her cope with this."

"I haven't done much," Seth replied, shooting Becky a warm glance, "but whatever I can do to help, I will." Motioning for Becky to take the drink tray, he grabbed their bags and looked to Ken. "We're not heading right out to the park, are we?"

Ken shook his head. "No. There's a campsite not far from there, and some of us are spending the night there. The others will be arriving tomorrow. You're cutting it close to the full moon for travelling," he added with a note of admonition, "but I suppose your schedule isn't the easiest to work around."

"They had to postpone a new storyline by a week so we could come," Becky replied, taking a sip from her coffee. "We wouldn't have been able to get more time. It was hard enough to get these few days." Then she held Seth's cup out to him, but he shook his head.

"I'll wait until we're in the car," Seth said. "So who's already at the campsite?"

Ken laughed merrily. "Not Caitlin, if that's what you're worried about. She's actually in France, so she sends her regards and demands to have more notice before your next visit."

Becky laughed as Seth tried not to visibly sigh with relief. She was used to Caitlin's antics, but knew they could be a bit much for others. "Is Malvina there?" Becky asked.

"She is," Ken hedged, "but she's been told to leave you be for the night. You two should take a walk to stretch your legs and then get some rest for tomorrow. Don't worry: no one will bother you."

The drive to the campsite seemed even longer than the one to the caves, and by the time they arrived the sun was starting to set. As soon as Becky hopped out of the SUV, she could smell smoke from bonfires and hear raucous laughter, and her heart ached to join in, but she knew it wouldn't be that easy. The questions she would be asked and the answers she would give would dim the mood, and they were better saved for the sunlight. "You're sure they won't mind if Seth and I keep to ourselves tonight?"

Ken shook his head and took the drink tray with the three now-empty cups. "They'll be fine, Rebecca. I'll tell them that you and Seth had a good flight and want some peace and quiet so you can rest. As long as they know you arrived safely, they can wait until morning. Though I can't guarantee that Odhran won't wake you bright and early. He got his first tattoo when he went off to uni," Ken explained with a hint of amusement, "so he'll want to show it off—casually, of course, because he's _cool_ now and thinking he wants to be a tattoo artist." Then he handed her a small keychain. "Yours is the furthest trailer down the line. I think it has a 46 on the door."

"Thanks, Da." Becky gave her father a tight hug before stepping back. "When's breakfast?"

"Odhran will be making the drive into the next town for it, so probably around nine. Anything particular that either of you would like?" Ken asked. All three of them went still when they heard approaching voices, and he made a shooing motion with his free hand. "Go on, before you get trapped in niceties. Text me later with what you want to eat."

"Okay. Love you." Becky took her bag from Seth and motioned down the dim path to the campers. "This way. We came here a few times when I was small. It hasn't changed much. We'll be a little ways from the others, but the campers aren't exactly sound-proofed."

Seth caught her meaning and grinned wickedly. "So this isn't the night to make you beg for mercy?"

"Save that for the hotel." Small campers loomed like hunched ghosts to either side of the path and Becky was glad they had both packed light; since they only had a few days to visit, there wasn't much point in bringing huge pieces of luggage. "Quiet can be fun too. That's us," she said, pointing to one of the larger campers. The door creaked when she unlocked it and the only lights inside were portable lanterns, but it was enough for the night. She would have enjoyed a shower after the long flight, but even just being close to family was making her spirits rise, so she was glad they hadn't decided to stay at a hotel in Dublin instead. Pulling her phone out of her purse, she looked up at Seth, who was setting their bags on the small kitchenette table. "Any requests for breakfast?"

"You know what I like." Seth looped his arms around her waist and watched her type out a quick message to her father before setting her phone aside. "You know what else?"

Becky could tell where he was going, but she was more than willing to play along. Whether she succeeded or failed, tomorrow was going to be stressful, so she might as well have one guaranteed night of fun. "What's that?"

"If it's vigorous enough," Seth began, walking her down the small aisle towards the built-in bed, "sex can count as exercise. We wouldn't have to go out for a walk and risk running into your relatives."

"You've never fucked in a camper, have you?" Becky laughed, sliding her hands under his shirt. It wasn't like they had anything to hide; even if they were quiet as mice, most of her relatives were going to assume they had been fucking anyway. "It's sort of the opposite of quiet."

"Well, then we have a challenge, don't we?" Seth pulled off his shirt and let it drop to the floor. "Unless you'd rather go for a boring old walk. . . ."

"No, no. Challenges are good."


	10. Chapter 10

The day of the full moon was full of food and new faces and laughter and, to Seth's relief, hardly any of Becky's relatives made a big deal of her affliction. Whether Ken had asked them not to or it was the simple kindness of a pack, he didn't know, but he appreciated it all the same. Bit by bit, Becky relaxed throughout the day. And then Malvina approached.

Given Becky's admittedly brief description, Seth had been expecting some frizzy-haired, spacey type, laden with crystal necklaces and thick rings. The actual Malvina looked rather like the stereotype of a bank teller who thought putting a streak of pink in her bangs made her look edgy. As soon as he heard her voice, though, Becky's assessment made more sense. "Rebecca? How are you? How long has it been?" Seth wondered if she was capable of speaking without using a question mark.

"Hi, Malvina. Thanks for coming to help." Becky hugged her as warmly as any of her other relatives and motioned for her to sit beside her. Relatives had been coming and going all day, and Seth marvelled at the casual chaos of it. "What did you find out?"

"Well, I had a look in some of my nan's old books, but there was nothing. Then I looked in _her_ nan's books and, well, let's just say penmanship has definitely improved since her day." Malvina wove a rambling story of cookbooks, school notes, and journals until she finally set two bottles of water in front of Becky. "But then I found something interesting in old Gran Grainne's sex diary. And don't drink those yet."

Seth couldn't understand the name at all, but _sex diary_ was pretty clear. "A what?"

"Oh, they didn't call them that back in the day, of course," Malvina chirped, "but lots of the women kept track of when they had sex to chart for pregnancies. For werewolves, you understand, it's very hard to transform while pregnant, so you need to plan." She gave them both a wink. "Something you may well be looking into soon! Anyway, Grainne's dairy mentioned her moons changing, and at first I just thought she was talking about her bleeding—you know, menstrual cycle, the moon, all that."

"No problems there," Becky began, but Malvina gestured dramatically to the two water bottles in front of her, so she went quiet.

"But the more I read, I realized that wasn't what she meant. I also realized that the men of her day apparently didn't know oral is a two-way street. Poor gals!" Malvina forged ahead, not paying much attention to her befuddled audience at all. "Anyway, she wasn't crystal clear about it, but to me it sounds like rather than shifting on the full moon, she had to shift on the new moon." Then she pulled a photocopied page out of her jacket pocket and handed it to Becky. Seth gamely tried to read it over her shoulder, but he couldn't even hazard a guess at half the words. "And she had sex in that cave of yours! Of course, it wasn't with her husband." Malvina tapped a word on the page and Seth assumed it was a name. "So at first she thought it was because of that."

Becky refolded the page and handed it back to her cousin. "Okay. Was she able to reverse it?"

"Aye." Realizing Becky expected more of an answer, Malvina pointed to the water bottles again. "She drank that. Well, not those exactly. Obviously they didn't have plastic bottles in her day."

Seth reached for them and when Malvina didn't warn him away, he picked them up and handed one to Becky. The one he was holding had a solid black label and Becky's was pure white, but other than that they were identical—and utterly simple. He twisted off the cap and took a sniff, but it only smelled like regular bottled water. "What is it?"

"Water." At first Seth thought Malvina was being sarcastic, but her voice was far too cheery. Pointing to the white-labelled bottle, Malvina said, "That was collected from a rain puddle in front of the cave on the night of a full moon." Then she gestured to the black-labelled bottle. "And that was collected from the river on the day of a new moon. There was no rain then, so I did the best I could. It should still work. It's still natural water, after all."

Becky eyed both bottles suspiciously. "And what do I do with it? Drink one on the full moon and the other on the new moon? I'm only here for a few days, Malvina—"

"No, no. You need to mix them. Did you bring a bowl?" The way she asked made it sound like she thought everyone clearly took their own bowl with them when they travelled.

"Ah, no. Can't say I did. I can run into town and get one if it has to be new." Becky shared a _see what I mean?_ glance with Seth. "Any particular material?"

Just then Odhran appeared with a box half filled with muffins. "Anyone still hungry? It's not just bran left. I checked. What's this about a bowl?"

"Malvina was saying I need one to reverse my moons or whatever." Becky gestured back at the scattered campers. "They have kitchenettes. One of them must have a bowl."

But Odhran shook his head. "Nah. Anything of worth is gone. Too many delinquents nicking things." Then he took a pocket knife out of his pocket. "But I can carve you one! Dead simple. There's tons of wood around, obviously." Looking at Malvina, he tossed the closed knife from hand to hand. "Would that work?"

Malvina nodded eagerly. "Yes! At least I think so. Maybe see if there's some wood _in_ the cave. No! That could anger the spirits." She paused to consider their options. "See if there are any fallen trees _near_ the cave. If so, use wood from one of those." She stood abruptly, much to Odhran's dismay; he was clearly hoping to make a hasty exit. "I'll go with you. Maybe something will call out to Grainne's spirit," she added, waving the copy of the diary page. "Back soon!"

"What about the water?" Becky called out. But Malvina and the reluctant Odhran were already heading towards his car. "Water," she muttered, letting her head flop against Seth's shoulder. "I'm supposed to hope that rain water is going to fix everything."

"And river water," Seth added with mock solemnity. "That could be the key." When she shot him an exasperated look, he held her close. "I'm sorry, Becks. I wish it were something that sounded more . . . substantial. But maybe it'll work. I mean, if sex in the cave triggered the change in the first place, then why shouldn't rain water gathered by the light of the full moon change things back?"

"But Grainne was also sleeping with someone who wasn't her husband. I wasn't." Becky blushed a bit as she stammered, "Well, I was, because you're not my husband, but Malvina meant it in the sense of infidelity, which doesn't apply to us."

Seth thought his heart was going to burst out of his chest when she said _my husband_ and it brought back a measure of the panic he had felt when meeting with Hunter. He knew he had to tell Becky about the so-called proposal sooner or later, but there never seemed to be a good time. Now he had a lead-in, awkward as it was, and Becky was laughing about it, so he likely wasn't going to get a better chance. "Speaking of husbands, um . . . when I was talking to Hunter, you know I told him that you have a sick family member, right?"

"Yeah." Becky held his gaze steadily. "What does that have to do with husbands, though?"

"Well, I kind of told him it was important for us to get to Ireland right away because of that—" Seth felt his resolve starting to slip away and he scrambled to recover it. "And because I was planning to propose to you."

"But your knees. . . ." Emotions flashed across Becky's face like a slideshow: confusion, hesitant joy, humbling realization, acceptance. "As part of the story. Right."

"I would," Seth blurted. He didn't know if any of her family members were listening in and he didn't care. "I thought about getting a ring and bringing it over, but then there's Customs. So I thought about getting a ring here, but I don't have the first clue where to go and—hey, if Odhran can carve," he added, knowing he mangled her cousin's name horribly, "maybe he could carve one and. . . ."

"Seth." Her hands were surprisingly warm on his face. "I don't need a ring. And you don't need to do anything. I know you only said that to make your case to Hunter. I'm not holding you to it. If he asks, you can just say there wasn't a good time; we were too busy with my family."

He hadn't ever really envisioned how he would propose before. Even when he had asked his now-ex to marry him, he had mostly hoped the words would come to him at the time. But this was different. Seth wished he had a ring and an ocean in the background—maybe Hawaii, because he knew how much she loved it there—and all the words to tell her how much she meant to him. As a packmate, as a partner, as a friend. Having even one of those in his life would be a blessing, but to have all three in one wasn't likely to happen again in his lifetime. "What if I want to do something, though? It doesn't have to be anything formal or official or whatever. It could be—a promise ring? Are those still a thing? I don't know." His panic was starting to overtake his resolve.

"You don't need to," Becky repeated softly, kissing him before and after and between the words. "I need to know that you know that. I don't want you feeling pressured by any of this: my family, the mix-up, the caves. . . ."

Over the past few months, there had been so much he was unsure of. He didn't know when or if Becky would ever be able to transform on the full moon again. He didn't know if the two of them would ever be able to shift and run together again. Throughout it all, though, what kept him anchored was his feelings for Becky. Whether she was a woman or a wolf, he loved her. He thought considering her his pack would be enough, but his slip with Hunter made him realize he wanted more. "I want to," he said firmly. "But I don't want you to feel pressured either."

Becky checked the caps on both bottles and, confident that they were closed securely, set them back down on the ground so she could clamber onto Seth's lap and kiss him. "If you're sure you want to," she said, running her hands through his messy curls, "there's a local jeweller in the next town named Seoda. She makes lovely rings. I bought a necklace for Sasha's birthday from her and Sasha loves it." She dropped her gaze a bit as she added, "Odhran could take you or—"

"Or we could go together," Seth suggested. It wasn't exactly a proposal and it had been unusual from the beginning up to that point, so he saw no point in trying to cling to some tradition of the woman not seeing the ring beforehand. "Then I'll know it fits. Full moon tonight, ring shopping tomorrow?"

"Sounds like a plan." Becky kissed him again, and while he could feel her shivering, at least this time it was from anticipation and not fear. "Weird magic water, a full moon, and a ring. I should make you come with me to Ireland more often."


	11. Chapter 11

Becky might have said she was willing to try anything to get her full moons back and she was. She just thought it would involve some sense of sacrifice. In movies and novels, though, people were always cutting their palms for blood or promising their first-born child or doing something equally dramatic. Mixing two bottles of water in a bowl didn't seem quite mystical enough to get the job done, especially since the bowl in question was the fourth attempt by Odhran. He had needed to replace his knife twice during the carving process, and the bowl still looked like something fashioned by a toddler, but Malvina had insisted it was better suited for the task than a store-bought one. "Odhran's kin," she said emphatically, "and the wood came from outside the cave, so it has a connection. The spirits won't care about some cheap disposable plastic thing bought from Tesco for a picnic."

"And Daniel Bryan would approve," Seth added softly. He knew his voice would carry, just as Becky knew the comment was mostly for her, to put her at ease.

By this time, they had all gathered at the park and everyone present had clustered around to wish Becky well. Some were already naked, just waiting to transform and head out on their runs. Others were partially clothed, waiting until the first wave had left so they didn't overwhelm the animals in the forest—or draw too much attention from any humans who might happen to wander past. Ken, naturally, was the first to hug Becky, holding her close for a long moment and whispering in her ear. Others were near enough to hear it, but they were all polite enough to pretend they hadn't. Pulling back, Ken smiled. "No matter what, Rebecca, you are a wolf at heart. Whether you change on full-moon night or a new-moon afternoon, you are a wolf, through and through. No curse or spell can ever take the essence of the wolf from you."

"Thanks, Da." Becky kissed his cheek and shot Seth a quick glance before the rest of her relatives approached to wish her luck. Some simply hugged her or squeezed her hand; others bowed their heads and murmured quick prayers, tracing a circle on her forehead with their fingertips. Howls gradually started to fill the night, making it feel as thick and soft as velvet.

Malvina and Odhran were the last to approach, and Odhran still looked sheepish. "Sorry about the bowl. I swear I know how. If I was at home and had Dad's shop tools. . . ."

Becky gave him a tight hug. "It's fine. It's a lovely job, and thank you for making it." They had already tested it earlier to make sure it would fit all the water—although Malvina had insisted they line the bowl with plastic wrap _and_ use different water so as to preserve the inherent sanctity of both the bowl and the moon water. "I'll leave it in the cave as an offering," she added. She had the sense that poor Odhran woulddn't want to look at a knife or a piece of wood again for a very long time, and she could hardly blame him.

"Don't forget to drink all the water," Malvina said, patting Becky's cheeks. "All of it. Even if it it means you have to pee. The spirits will understand."

Seth wisely waited until all of Becky's relatives were out of sight to comment. "So the spirits get upset when someone fucks in the cave, apparently, but they're okay with people needing to pee?"

Becky shrugged helplessly. Grainne's diary was interesting reading, to say the least, but definitely short on details and facts, at least from a modern perspective. The entry simply said she collected water blessed by the full moon with water blessed by the new moon and mixed them 'in the natural way'—which she annoyingly didn't elaborate on—and drank it all down, waiting in the cave until she began to transform. Becky still had serious doubts, but at least Malvina's theory shouldn't have any horrible side effects, or at least none beyond having a very full bladder. "Well, I'm not peeing in the cave, obviously. To werewolves, that's like doing graffiti on a monument."

Seth raised an eyebrow. "The Berlin Wall?"

"This is different. That was . . . symbolic. This is more like a part of our history, a story passed down through generations. I don't know how to explain it." Becky knew it went beyond scent marking, beyond anything as simple as cleanliness and respect. Werewolves were supposed to work in harmony with nature, not impose themselves upon it. With a sigh, she looked up to the sky and gazed at the full moon. Ever since the blue moon, when the glory of the full moon had been taken away from her, she hadn't allowed herself to look at the full moon for long. Being able to see it with only human eyes had hurt too much. Tonight, though, she needed to believe, and that meant keeping her goal in mind.

Grabbing the two bottles of water, Seth draped an arm around Becky's shoulders. They were already close to the cave, since Becky was operating with very human senses still, and all the others were making sure they had space. "Did you want me to wait outside the cave? I can hold off my shift until . . . until you know."

"I don't know." Becky rolled the roughly hewn bowl between her hands as they approached the caves, its mouth dimly lit by an electric lantern Ken had left there for her. "I mean, you were obviously there when the curse or whatever happened," she said dryly. "But if something goes weird, I don't want it affecting you." She knew that his inability to shift on the new moon was likely a side effect of whatever was wrong with her, but that lack was easier to work around: since they rarely shifted between full moons anyway, Seth wouldn't mind being unable to on one particular day. When they reached the mouth of the cave, she rose on tiptoe to kiss him. "I'd like you there with me," she said softly, "but I don't want to make things worse for you. It's your call."

"I'd like to be there." Seth drew her into his arms, the bottles of water bumping against her back. "So if you're willing. . . ."He adjusted the backpack strap over his shoulder. They were bringing a modified equivalent of their go-bag, with a few pre-packaged snacks and some towels so they could clean up in the river.

"We'll have to clean up in the morning too, before we head into town." They hadn't mentioned ring shopping in front of her relatives and since at least one or two had been around most of the day, it meant Becky and Seth hadn't had much of a chance to discuss his sort-of proposal much at all. _If he doesn't want to follow through,_ she told herself, _it's fine._ Now that the prospect was there and she had seen the sheer adoration in his eyes, deep and shining, she couldn't forget it. "But we should probably play that by ear. See how tonight goes and all. . . ."

Seth picked up on her nervousness quickly and took the bowl from her hands, setting it and the bottles of water aside so he could lift her into an all-encompassing hug. "I'll be with you in the cave and I'm going with you into the town and I'm getting you a ring." Chuckling, he pressed a kiss to her neck. "If it would make you feel better, you can get me one too. We could be all matchy-matchy. The Iconics would love it."

"You're ridiculous," Becky murmured, "and I love you." It was tempting to just stay in his embrace, listening to the forest bursting with life around them, but she knew she didn't have time to waste. Even if Malvina's theory didn't work, Seth had to run at the full moon, and he deserved to have a good, proper run, not the short ones they had been doing so as not to alienate the other. "Okay. Let's get naked," she said, grabbing the lantern and the bowl, "and I'll drink some water."

"Well, I'm definitely on board for the first part." Holding Becky's hand, Seth ducked as they went deep into the twisty caves, doubling back a few times until they were fairly sure they had found the spot where they'd had sex. Malvina hadn't said how close they had to be, but Becky figured it couldn't hurt. "I love you no matter what. You know that, right? Like your dad said, you're a wolf at heart. When you transform is just a technicality."

Becky waited until she had undressed to reply, keeping her hands busy with folding her clothes. "And what if this," she said, holding one of the water bottles up to the lantern, which cast wavering lines and shadows all throughout the cave, "takes away my wolf completely? Then what?" It wasn't an outcome she even wanted to think about, but it haunted her more than she liked to admit.

"Then I still love you," Seth said simply, "and I'll be sad that there's one night a month I don't get to spend with you, so I would just have to make it up on the other twenty-nine. Or thirty, depending on the month. Smart ass." He pulled the towels out of the backpack and stuck their clothes inside. "Whenever you're ready. Take your time."

She did. She held the bottle of full-moon water in her hands and cuddled up to Seth for a while, almost falling asleep against his shoulder. There were no howls outside the cave entrance, no muzzles peeking around the corner; her relatives were honouring their promise to give them space. "Your muscles are starting to twitch," she murmured, crawling out of his lap reluctantly. A werewolf had to change at the full moon and if they didn't start the change on their own, the moon would do it for them, which made it considerably less pleasant. "Okay. Water in a bowl. Shouldn't be that hard."

Seth's mouth twitched in a smile. "You don't need a can opener," he teased, "so you should be fine."

Becky started with the full-moon water first, figuring the full moon was both the start of her problem and the result she so desperately wanted. She poured the water in slowly, trying to coat the walls of the bowl so the full-moon water had touched every part of the interior. Then she alternated between the black-labelled bottle and the white, letting their streams combine at the end. If it meant she got her full-moon shifts back, she wasn't above a bit of symbolism and hope. "Sorry, bladder," she quipped as she raised the bowl to her lips, making sure there were no splinters about to stab her mouth. Perhaps she should have said a formal apology to the spirits or some other wise words, but nothing came to mind, so she simply shut her eyes and drank.

She hadn't been expecting anything mystical to happen, so she wasn't disappointed when it didn't. The water tasted just like water, perhaps with more minerals. The wood didn't warm up in her hands. No magical light suffused the cave with colour and warmth. There was just her and the bowl, Seth and the bag, the lantern and the shadows it cast. "I don't think you have to drink it all down in one go," Seth said softly, not wanting to interrupt.

Becky still did, however, slowing at times so her stomach didn't threaten to vomit up everything that had already gone down. Once she was finished, she felt overly full and she sat against the tallest cave wall, wiping the back of her hand across her mouth. "Go ahead and shift," she told him. "I'll be here. Just me and the knock-off Bray Wyatt lantern."

Before her started his shift, Seth knelt beside her and kissed her cheek, resting his forehead against hers. "I'll do a loop and check back on you in about half an hour, okay?"

"Okay." The heaviness in Becky's gut soon spread to her limbs and it wasn't long after Seth had transformed—promptly trotting over for a head pat, of course—and left the cave that she curled up on her side. They were deep enough in the caves that she couldn't see the sky, but she could feel the moon etching its path against the velvety darkness, leaving her behind yet again. "Long day," she murmured to herself, shutting her eyes. "Spirits won't mind if I take a nap."

Becky didn't realize she had fallen asleep until she heard an excited yip, and then she rubbed at her face with her paws as she raised her head in the direction of the noise. _Paws?_ It was more of a sound that a word, but she understood it in a deeper way as well.

_Paws!_ Then there was a blur of grey and she and the lantern were tumbled end over end as a long tongue started licking at her muzzle. 

_Muzzle?_ She would recognize Seth anywhere, as a human or as a wolf, and when she tried to hug him, she was somewhat thwarted by her lack of arms so she pounced on him instead.

_Paws, muzzle, tail!_ Seth lovingly nipped at each one in turn, letting out a series of happy yips that rang like church bells throughout the caves.

It was hard to get a look at herself, but as sleep cleared from Becky's mind, she gradually settled into four legs, patting the cave floor with each foot as if testing its solidity. Seth impatiently nudged her towards the cave entrance, but Becky still hesitated. _Wolf? Yes?_

_Yes!_ He bowled her over again and they play wrestled for a few minutes, yipping with delight. It had been months since they had been wolves together, able to share the same world of fur and fierce energy, and the rush of its return was overwhelming. _Others?_

On the human level, Becky knew what he meant: her family would be thinking of her, so she should let them know that Malvina's suggestion—as odd as it had seemed—had worked, though it was impossible to know if there would be any side effects down the road. In that moment, however, all she wanted was Seth: to run with him like she used to, to howl together, to bask in the full moon with him. _Yes,_ she agreed, following him out of the cave and down to the path. She wanted to pause to thank the spirits—the cave, the bowl, the water, _everything_ —but the full moon was calling her at last.

The howl she let out was low and long, but as complex as a poem, and it never could have translated to any human language. It spoke of loss and despair, of hope abandoned and reclaimed, of the moon's dance and her place in it, once chaotic and now restored. A cautious chorus replied, single voices speaking for clusters so as not to betray their locations or their numbers to any potential humans nearby. The answering song was full of love and relief, underscored with questions that could wait until after the full moon's glory was gone.

Once the night had gone mostly quiet again, all the other werewolves returning to their own runs and adventures, Seth leaned up against her side. _Run?_

Becky's laugh in wolf form had as much depth as her human one. _Pee first. Then run._


	12. Chapter 12

_What a moon,_ Seth thought as he and Becky woke up in a sticky tangle. They still weren't sure what exactly had triggered her strange reaction to the full moon, but now that it appeared to be fixed, they weren't about to go courting problems again. After they had gone for a long, glorious run, exploring almost every square inch of the vast forest, they had returned to the cave only to collect their things—Seth suspected Becky said a silent thanks as well—and then they had found a cozy cluster of trees to sleep beside.

He had expected the amnesty from her relatives to end as soon as the sun rose, but to his surprise they had been able to sleep undisturbed. They even managed a quick dip in the river without being bothered. A proper shower—and sex in a bed—would be greatly appreciated when they got to a hotel, but for the moment, he was more than content. Becky was happy and healthy, whole again, and that was worth the world to him.

Ken was the first one to approach them when they rejoined the others, and the warmth of his smile could have rivalled the sun. "Did you have a good run, Rebecca?" It was such a simple question, but Seth knew how much it meant to both father and daughter.

Becky nodded shakily, as if she might cry if she weren't careful. Last night had been full of delight and relief, but Seth was sure anxiety would appear all too soon. "The best," she replied, smiling and waving at her assembled relatives.

Before they could start drowning her in questions and affection, Ken handed Seth a set of keys. "Why don't you enjoy the morning?" he suggested, ignoring the protests from his family behind him. "There's a lovely cafe in town—Becky knows it—and I already told the owner I would pay for your breakfast. Go eat and have a stroll and then you can come back and tell us everything before you head to your hotel. How does that sound?"

"That sounds lovely, Dad. Thank you." Becky kissed Ken's cheek and tugged on Seth's arm, pulling him towards the parked cars. "I love them, but if we don't leave now," she said quietly, "I'll be stuck answering questions all morning. Which would mean no shower until tonight."

"You don't have to convince me," Seth laughed. The country roads were a bit bumpy, but between road signs and Becky's memory, he got them to the nearby town easily enough, parking in front of what looked like an old cottage. "Am I even going to be able to fit through the doorway?" he asked dubiously, eyeing the time-warped door frame.

Becky smiled sweetly, pushing on the back of his head so he ducked down a bit. "Pays to be short sometimes." Then she opened the door and stepped inside, where the motif of dark wood continued.

"Ah, you must be Ken's girl!" A bubbly woman bustled over to them. "Yes, he said you'd be in—and with a tall one too," she laughed. "This way. I saved our biggest table for you."

There were a few locals seated at various tables, and the 'biggest' one still didn't give Seth much leg room, but the ambience was cozy. "Is this the same town with the jeweller?" he asked Becky after the woman left to get them coffee.

Becky suddenly became very interested in the extremely simple menu. As far as Seth could tell, there were about six different items in different ratios and sizes. "Seoda? Yes, just down the road. But we—"

Seth reached over and grabbed her left hand, bringing it to his mouth. "Will her store be open yet?" He hadn't been to Europe often, at least not when he had time to shop, but he knew that the hours could differ greatly from American stores.

"I'm not sure. Honestly!" Becky kicked him lightly under the table. "And . . . don't worry about a ring. Really. We can just tell Hunter that there was too much family stuff going on. Then he won't worry and try to get us counselling or anything."

He didn't let her take her hand back. "I'm not doing it because I have to. I'm doing it because I want to. Maybe all of this gave me a bit of a push," Seth admitted, "but it just made me realize how big a part of my life you are, and how much better my life is with you in it. If you just want to consider it a present, we can do that too. It can be a Happy Full Moon present."

"Saw our full moon, did you? Looks a lot nicer out here than it does in the city." The server set down their coffees and readied a well-worn pad for their orders.

After placing his order, Seth glanced at Becky. "There's a jeweller in town named . . . Seoda, right?" He tried to copy her pronunciation as best he could, but he could tell from the server's expression that he had failed. "Do you know when she opens her shop?"

The server looked at her watch, thought a moment, and nodded. "You're in luck. It's one of her early days today. She ought to be open by the time you're done eating." She took Becky's order as well and wandered back to the kitchen.

Seth grinned innocently as he picked up his coffee cup. "One of her early days," he echoed. "See? It's meant to be."

Becky rolled her eyes. "Did Malvina give you some special water too?" She was smiling, though, and that was the main thing.

The food was simple but delicious; even the coffee was surprisingly good. Between all the stress and their long run last night, they were both hungrier than normal and ordered seconds. Seth insisted on paying, though, and left a hefty tip as well. "I'm guessing we don't have to go far," he said as they left the cafe, "so can we leave the car here?"

"And walk off some of the breakfast?" Becky teased, hooking her arm around Seth's elbow. "Thank you for last night. For being patient with me," she added quickly, barely even blushing this time. "I know these last few months have been hard for you too, and I didn't always acknowledge that. I should have, and I'm sorry." Leaning close, she added, "The thought of never running with you again scared me in so many ways, and we still don't know what's going to happen long-term. Maybe it only worked on this full moon because we were at the caves. It's not like we can come to Ireland for every full moon, as much as I'd love to. . . ."

"Whatever happens, I'll be there." Seth kissed the top of her head as he made note of the stores they passed, looking for the jeweller. Almost every store began with someone's name, and he hadn't seen a single chain store so far. "Is that hers?" he asked, pointing to a vibrant purple storefront.

Becky grinned. "How could you tell?" It was simply called Seoda's and Seth was grateful that it seemed to have a regular-sized door. The interior was more modern as well, featuring more glass and metal than dark wood like the cafe. "Hi," she called out, catching a glimpse of someone in the back room.

A woman poked her head around the back room's door frame and smiled. "Hi there! Be right with you!" Then she paused. "You seem familiar," she added, pointing at Becky. "Were you looking at some amethyst last year?"

"That's me. Necklace for a friend. She loves it, by the way." Becky tried to steer Seth away from the ring display, but he guided her right towards it.

Seoda laughed. "Ah. It's a ring this time, is it? Just a gift, or something more?" Her merry gaze bounced between them.

"Promise ring, or something like that," Seth replied, astounded by the variety. For having such a small shop, Seoda had plenty of items on hand, and most of them looked nicer than what he had seen in fancy jewellery stores in major cities. 

"For both of you?" Seoda asked, grabbing a tray from beneath the counter. "I have a few sets that might suit you. Some people use them as wedding rings, others as engagement rings. I've even had best friends get a matching set. They mean whatever you want them to mean, really."

The rings, mostly silver, were all nestled in a black velvet display, reminding Seth of the stunning sky they had enjoyed last night. "Becks, this one." After skimming a few rows, his gaze was drawn to a bold silver set. The larger ring, likely intended for a man, was a dark brushed silver band, solid except for a crescent moon cut-out. Its partner was a slightly brighter silver with a thin band and a crescent moon shining with small diamonds. "What size is that set?"

"I can resize, so that's not a problem." Seoda wiggled the rings free and pressed them together. "The moon on the smaller one fits inside the crescent in the larger ring. Took some doing and most people don't even notice, but I thought it was a nice detail." She held out both rings for them to try on.

Seth only had eyes for the smaller ring, though, and slid it on Becky's left ring finger first. "Perfect fit." Then, with more reluctance than he imagined, he slid it off and tried it on her right hand. "You could wear it on either hand."

Becky's cheeks were faintly pink. "What about yours, though?" Her hands were shaking a bit, so she had trouble getting the ring over his knuckle, but other than that it fit well on both hands.

"They look good," Seoda said with a nod. "I'm biased, obviously, but I guarantee my work. If you need them resized, just bring them back and I'll fix whatever needs fixing."

There was so much Seth could say: the rings were perfect, they were symbolic, they would be a great souvenir if nothing else. But Becky beat him to it, and she said it far better: "We'll take them."


	13. Chapter 13

As lovely as the quiet morning was, Becky knew they couldn't avoid her relatives forever, so after buying the rings, getting a few gifts for friends, and relaxing over coffee, she and Seth finally headed back to the campsite. When she called her father, he said they had already cleaned up everything at the park—including the caves—and would be on their way back to their campers. "We don't have to stay long," Becky told Seth as he navigated the narrow roads. "I know I want a proper shower before getting on with things—"

"And sex in a proper bed?" Seth asked, shooting her a look. Last night, all that had mattered was that they were together and Becky had been able to shift during a full moon, but even that didn't make the camper's utilitarian bed any more comfortable.

"Of course." Then Becky grabbed her phone, intending to take a picture of their rings. They had debated which hand to wear them on and settled on the right hand for now—at least in Ireland. Her parents had been worried enough when she couldn't shift, so there was no reason to cause them additional stress. "I should wait until we tell family," she said, squeaking a bit when she realized she had spoken out loud. "I mean, not that we have to tell them anything if we don't want to. The rings don't have to mean anything."

Seth pulled off to the side of the road and kissed her for so long she dropped her phone. "They mean something to me. I hope they mean something to you. But we don't have to tell anyone anything." His ring felt cold against her cheek when he cupped her face, and the strangeness of the new sensation made her smile. "We can take the rings off before we get to the campsite if you want. . . ."

What Becky really wanted was to detour and have Seth to herself for just a while longer, but since she had already called her father, everyone would know they were on their way and roughly when they should arrive. "No. We'll just keep the campsite visit quick so we can get to the hotel." She retrieved her phone and wiped it clean on her leggings.

"I'm on board with that." After another kiss, Seth pulled back onto the road and they managed to behave long enough to arrive at the campsite without any other stops.

As they pulled in, they were surprised to see far fewer vehicles than when they left. "Odhran has to work tonight, so he wanted to get some proper sleep," Ken explained, "and Malvina had to leave early as well. She wants you to text her to let her know how everything went." After passing along messages and well-wishes from some of Becky's extended family, he finally pointed down at their hands. "I would recognize Seoda's work anywhere. May I see, or are they supposed to be a secret?"

Becky glanced up at Seth and smiled. "Not a secret. It's . . . like a promise ring."

"Oh, are those coming back now? I always thought those were nice." Ken admired Seth's ring first before holding Becky's hand and tilting it back and forth so the diamonds in her moon caught the light. "You know your mother's going to ask if you're pregnant now." He laughed at Seth's dumbstruck look and Becky's deepening blush. "I know you're not, but that's just Annette."

Seth chuckled nervously. "Maybe we should take them off. . . ?"

But Becky shook her head, wrapping her arms around him. "No. Mom will be fine. She just worries. Come on. Let's go sit for a bit and then we'll head out." There weren't too many of her relatives left, and some were already packing up, so the conversations were all quick and casual. The sheer outpouring of relief and love almost made Becky feel embarrassed for feeling worried. When it was only her father and a few others left—the older, more responsible ones, making sure the site was clean of any trace of werewolves—she tracked Ken down again and gave him a long hug. "Thank you, Dad. Thank you for all of this. We couldn't have fixed this without you."

"Or Malvina," Ken reminded her with a wink before kissing her cheek. "I'm glad we could help, Rebecca. Let's hope the fix sticks."

Motioning back to Seth, who was helping lift some of the heavier log benches to look beneath them, Becky added, "We're going to our hotel quick to shower and stuff and then we'll go visit Mom. We have a few more days in Dublin and—"

"And you should enjoy them with Seth," Ken said gently. "You have the advantage of relative anonymity right now, Rebecca; it's not well known that you're here. When your tour comes through, people will expect to see you around. Enjoy your break. Take him to your favourite places." He tapped her moon ring before squeezing her hand. "Enjoy these days with him, because it's only ever new once. That's not to say the days to come aren't worth it, but you can enjoy those in their own way once they roll around."

"Thank you, Dad." Becky hugged him again, letting her head rest on his shoulder as they stood together in comfortable quiet.

"Any time, Rebecca." His eyes sparkled when he couldn't resist a parting jab. "But going forward, perhaps no more sex in strange places?"

Becky laughed so loudly that Seth and the others glanced over. "We . . . we will definitely take that advice. I promise."

"Somehow I doubt that," Ken retorted with a wink, "but at least you'll be more cautious about it next time, I hope." Then he waved Seth over. "Thank you for all your help, Seth. But you two should be on your way. You only have so much time in Ireland, and you'll be waiting to leave Annette's at a decent hour tonight."

After a last round of goodbyes, Seth and Becky went back to their camper and packed up what little they had, leaving the door open and the key on the table for her relatives to collect. "So after we visit my mom, we have a couple days left," Becky pointed out. "What would you like to do?"

"Let's decide tomorrow," Seth answered. "After all you've been through, I think you deserve a day off."

"So do you. You went through it all with me." As Seth drove to the hotel, Becky texted her mother to see what time worked for a visit. "Mom says we're welcome to come for supper. Food will be ready around six or so."

Seth glanced at the dashboard display screen. "So if we wanted to be there for five," he asked, "when would we have to leave the hotel?"

His eyes were focussed on the road, but Becky could see enough of his smile to know what he had in mind. "Four-thirty, give or take," she estimated. It was a circuit she had done often when she was in Ireland, visiting one parent and then the other.

After doing more mental calculations, Seth nodded. "Ask her if five is good."

Laughing, Becky texted back his reply. "It is," she reported when her phone dinged. After exchanging a few more messages with her mother, she tucked her phone back in her purse. "That gives us time to have a really long shower." Glancing over at Seth, she smiled innocently. "Since there's nothing else you want to do. . . ."

"We'll see about that." Seth didn't exactly speed to the hotel, but he made sure they arrived quickly, and asked emphatically at the desk that they not be disturbed at all for the rest of the day. They barely managed to get their bags inside their suite before they were kissing, tugging clothes off as fast as they could. "I'm so glad I have you back," he murmured against her bare shoulder as he pulled off her bra. 

_I never left,_ Becky wanted to say, but she knew that wasn't entirely true. Not being able to shift on the full moons and not being able to run with Seth had dimmed her somehow, made her sluggish; changing at the new moons helped, but only for that night. The stress and worry stole her energy and focus, distracting her from all the things that mattered most. "I missed you too."

For the first few rounds of sex, they didn't even bother getting under the covers; they were generating enough heat between them to keep Becky warm, and Seth appreciated the brush of air against his skin. Their phones rang occasionally, but they lost themselves in each other for almost two hours before they finally parted enough to even look at the room they had rented. "Huh. I just realized the curtains are blue," Seth said, voice sleepy-slow.

Curled up to his side, Becky toyed with his very messy hair. "Should we send your mom a picture before we tell mine?" When it came to family, they tried to keep things balanced, but the distance between Ireland and America made it difficult.

Seth shook his head. "She'll be cool with it. I never said anything outright, but I think she suspected something was going to happen while we were here. Not drinking magical moon water out of a wooden bowl, I bet," he added with a laugh, "but I don't think she'll be surprised to hear about a proposal. Of sorts. What are we calling it?"

Becky thought for a moment, her sigh drifting over Seth's chest and making him shiver. " _Proposal_ is probably easiest. But between us, it can be whatever we want. Right?" She grabbed her phone from the bedside table and checked the time. "We have about an hour before we need to start getting ready," she added as she set an alarm. "Maybe we should text Roman and Charlotte and them and let some of our friends know—"

"Or maybe," Seth countered, rolling her gently onto her back and starting to kiss his way down her throat, "we could do that later."

Becky didn't need much convincing and it was a good thing her phone's back-up timer was set, because neither of them—even with their werewolf hearing still enhanced from the full moon—heard the first one. They moved apart reluctantly, taking separate showers and getting dressed quickly so they wouldn't be distracted again. "Do you remember the way to Mom's?" They had stayed at the hotel before because it was close to most of the people she wanted to visit and the staff always treated them with friendly discretion.

"Sort of." Between his memory, the navigation system in the rental, and a few subtle comments from Becky, Seth got them to her mother's without any trouble, and Annette was in the doorway waving before they were even out of the SUV. "Hi, Annette. We're not too late, are we?"

"Not at all," Annette called back cheerily. "I'm just glad you had time to visit and that you're looking so well." She wasn't a werewolf herself, but Annette knew enough not to speak openly of things like full moons and transformations. "I have to get back to the kitchen, so just close the door behind you."

Becky twisted her ring nervously. "You're sure?" she asked quietly as they walked up to the front door. "We don't have to."

"I know. But I'd like to. She's your mom, though, so it's up to you." Seth reached for his ring, ready to twist it off and slip it in his pocket, but Becky stopped him. "You can do the explaining," he said, kissing her softly. "I have a hard time following the accents once you two get going anyway."

"So American," Becky teased, leading the way into the house. After they took off their shoes, she headed to the kitchen. "Hi, Ma. How are you?"

"Oh, the same, the same." Annette turned away from the stove to hug her daughter. "Your father told me you got your full-moon wolf back," she said warmly. "I'm so happy for you. That must have been so strange to not shift." Then her gaze slipped down and noticed Becky's ring. "Oh goodness! How far along are you?"

Becky shared a quick glance with Seth before shaking her head. "I'm not pregnant, Ma. It's . . . like a promise ring. Or close to a proposal. We haven't decided yet. Seth has one too." So she didn't have to suffer the inquisition alone, she pulled Seth closer to show Annette his matching ring.

"They're very nice," Annette remarked, tilting Becky's hand under the kitchen light to see the diamonds sparkle. It didn't stop her from giving her daughter's belly a quick pat. "But if you were expecting, that would be okay too. Well, perhaps not with the werewolf factor. I never quite understood how that worked for the women."

Becky held Seth's gaze long enough to make him blush this time. "We'll have to look into it. In the meantime, how can we help? Is the table set? Is Ricky coming?"

"Ricky's working late, but he said he'll drop in as soon as he can." Gesturing to a tall cupboard, Annette added, "Since you're tall, Seth, would you mind fetching me the white bowl with pink roses on it?"

"Sure."

While Seth was turned away, Annette grinned and kissed her daughter's cheek. "Engaged!" she trilled in Becky's ear. "I'm so happy for you!"

From her relatives at the park to her parents, everyone seemed happy, and it was the first time in months Becky had felt genuinely happy too. She had her full moons back, she was wearing a ring from Seth and he was wearing one from her, and her whole life seemed to be in a new phase, as if it had transformed last night along with her body. There was always the possibility that things could go wrong or regress, but for now, happiness and hope fit as perfectly as her ring did.


	14. Chapter 14

Seth and Becky both worried about their first night back, but it happened to coincide with Hunter and Stephanie's anniversary, so they were gone on vacation. That gave them time to tell their friends about the engagement first. That was the term they had both agreed on for simplicity's sake, while promising each other that it didn't have to mean anything formal. For as often as they looked at the rings, though, their own and each other's, it was pretty obvious that neither one would be going anywhere.

"Don't you think she deserves a bigger ring?" Roman had joked when they told him. "Don't get me wrong. They're gorgeous. At least hers has the diamonds."

Since they were both wearing rings, though, most people assumed they had gotten married, not just engaged, and they eventually decided to move them over to their right hands. It didn't stop Seth from calling Becky his wife, however, at first because it made her roll her eyes and then because it made her smile—or better yet, blush—but mostly because he loved the sound of it. It felt as natural in his mouth as a howl did on a full moon.

The day Hunter returned to work was, naturally, one of the days they had forgotten to put the rings on their right hands; at home, they often switched the rings back over to their left. At first, they both pretended it was because they were right-handed and it was less cumbersome, but the rings just looked more natural on their left hands. Seth hadn't even noticed until he was talking and Hunter's gaze kept dipping down. "She beat you to it?" he asked bluntly.

"What?" Seth raised his hand and swore softly. "Oh, yeah. No, it's . . . we found one she liked," he explained awkwardly, moving the ring from his left hand to his right as he spoke. "And it was part of a set, so we figured why not?"

Hunter pointed to the moon cut-out. "It's not some _Game of Thrones_ thing, is it? The whole _moon of my life_ thing?"

Seth nearly choked on his laughter. While he loved the show, he hadn't yet been able to convince Becky to watch it all. "No. No symbolism," he fibbed gently. "We just liked the rings and they were made by a jeweller close to her parents, so it supported the community—"

"Uh huh." Hunter sounded dubious, but he still gave the ring an appreciative nod. "Well, I'm glad that went well. How's the family situation?"

_Almost forgot about that,_ Seth thought. "They're out of the worst of it, but it's still touch and go. Sounds like doctors are hopeful, though." He didn't like lying, but he also didn't want to make Hunter suspicious. They had passed the next new moon without any unusual incidents, so now they were looking forward to the full moon in a few days. Once Becky had a few regular full moon runs, she wanted to try transforming at random times throughout the month, but they were still being cautious. Since they still didn't know for sure what had triggered her strange affliction, it wouldn't hurt to keep the 'sick family member' excuse active in case they needed to return to Ireland in a hurry.

"Good." Then Hunter tapped Seth's ring. "She's not pregnant, is she?"

"No," Seth said quickly. "No, she's not. We're careful." They hadn't done any research into pregnancy for werewolves yet, mostly because they were still enjoying the return to normal, or at least their version of it.

"Good," Hunter said again. "Have her come talk to me when she has some time. Nothing bad. Just European tour stuff and the appearances with Finn that we want to start planning."

"Sure. She'll be happy that it's all still going ahead." Spotting Roman, Seth hurried off before he could slip and reveal something to Hunter that he shouldn't. "Hey, man. Have you seen Becks recently?"

Roman laughed. "Lose your wife again? Damn, man. Should have got a tracker put in her ring. Last I saw her, she was in Catering with the rest of the Four."

When Seth finally caught up with her, only Sasha was left, still admiring the ring even though she had seen it weeks ago. "When we go on the European tour, Becks, you'll have to take me there," Sasha insisted. "I want to get some earrings to go with my necklace." Then she shot Seth a sly smile. "And maybe Seth can get you the next ring."

"I'm still getting used to this one," Becky replied, and Seth could feel her cheeks heating up as he hugged her. "So let's hold off on any more jewellery for a while."

"Hunter wants to talk with you." Strictly speaking, Hunter hadn't specified a time, but Seth thought it was a good way to get Becky away. When she started to look a bit panicked, he pulled her off to the side and kissed her. "He does want to talk to you," he clarified, "but it's not urgent. I just thought you might want an escape route."

"Thanks. I forgot to switch my ring over," she said, wrapping her arms around him, "so everyone assumed we got married on the weekend." Then Becky twisted around enough to see his hands. "Did you remember?"

Seth shook his head. "No. Hunter noticed the ring, though. He thought you beat me to the punch with a proposal," he finished with a laugh. "Come on. Let's go to Hunter's office. When you're done, we can look over some plans for the full moon."

The final few days before the full moon were fraught with emotion, almost as tense as when Becky was forced to shift on the new moons. This tension had filaments of hope shining through it, however, which made it easier to manage, even if it did result in Becky obsessing over their go-bags. Packing and repacking, checking and rechecking; Seth was surprised she hadn't broken the zippers, and he eventually locked the bags in his trunk. This full moon fell on one of their days off, so they could go to a spot near his house. He didn't think it would affect the results one way or the other, but he was glad to have familiar surroundings. Maybe the comforts of home would help ease Becky's transition; if something went wrong, Seth would at least feel more confident on his home turf. 

Not wanting to lose or damage their rings, they had left them at home, and Becky had spent the whole drive rubbing her ring fingers, missing the now-familiar metal. "What if it doesn't work?" she fretted. "What if it only worked at the caves because we were on the site? What if I can only shift in Ireland?"

Seth thought all of those scenarios were highly unlikely, but he didn't want to make light of her anxiety either. "Whatever happens," he replied simply, "we'll work with it. Finn went back to NXT. If we had to, we could go to NXT UK. Take them by surprise and dominate the division until we've got everything figured out. We'll make it work, Becks."

Her nerves persisted for the rest of the drive, only starting to ebb once they were out in the forest and searching for a good spot to make their small camp. "Sorry." She rubbed her palms against her thighs after she had undressed, but it looked more of a nervous action than any attempt to stay warm. "I know I need to stay positive." She glanced up at the full moon and smiled tremulously. "It's going to work. It will. It'll work."

"Exactly." Seth stowed their bag up in a tree and climbed back down, sweeping her off her feet. "But if we want to be really scientific about it, we should probably stay together until the next blue moon just in case. Either of us could have an adverse reaction, you know."

In her anxious state, it took Becky a moment to catch on, but then she kissed him, laughing all the while. "Just until the next blue moon?" she teased. "That's not even three years away now. Are you planning to trade me in then? Caitlin will probably be single. . . ."

Seth shook his head. Ever since she had accepted his flubbed proposal, he couldn't help but think of more, dream of more. A proper engagement ring. Wedding rings. A honeymoon—someplace warm for her. Picking out a house together, adopting more animals. Kids—hopefully, eventually, whenever she felt she could step away from wrestling for long enough. His heart was opening up in so many directions it almost hurt. He didn't want to scare her away or overwhelm her, but he also sensed that she needed an anchor. "I'd like to be married in three years," he started softly, holding her close as if they were dancing. "Living in a house we picked out together. I would still want to be close to Davenport, but we could have a second place too—in L.A. for you, or maybe down in Florida, to be close to the training centre."

"If you plan on getting me an engagement ring _and_ a wedding ring," Becky teased tenderly, "I'm going to run out of fingers."

"Then I'll start getting you bracelets," Seth replied simply. He kissed her again, long and slow, before stepping back. "Come on. Time to run." He crouched down first, but waited to start his transformation until Becky joined him. Normally he could rush through a shift in under a minute if he wanted, but he took it slow so he could keep an eye on her.

Nerves hindered her at first, teasing her with the brush of fur and the press of claws while only partially manifesting them, but then Becky shut her eyes. "It's going to work," she repeated softly. "It will work." And gradually, gracefully, it did, her body stretching from one form to the other. _Worked!_

_Never doubt_. For months, Seth worried that he would never have the pleasure, the miracle, the honour of seeing Becky as a wolf on a full moon again, and there she was, muzzle high and howling, creating that iconic silhouette of a wolf's head framed by the halo of the moon. If she had been in human form, he knew she would be crying—tears of relief, to be sure—and she would probably be sobbing when she turned back, but for now her song was pure relief. She was basking in the moonlight the way cats slept in patches of sunshine and he hated to interrupt her, but the transformation wouldn't be enough. He knew that in order for her confidence to be fully restored, she would need to run again, and he couldn't wait to be at her side once more. _To river?_ he asked, ready to spring.

Becky came over and pressed her body against his, licking his muzzle affectionately. _Yes._ And then she was off, just like nothing had ever happened, and Seth had to exert himself to catch up. The cave would always be a dark spot in her memory now, both as a woman and as a wolf, but he hoped he could help her create enough bright memories to bury the cave deep in her mind, a mere footnote to a story with decades left to tell.


End file.
